THE COMPARATIVE STEADY-STATE BIOAVAILABILITY OF THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF MADECASSOL

The comparative steady-state bioavailability of asiatic acid was studi ed in 12 healthy male and female volunteers following oral administrat ion of approximately equimolar doses of either asiatic acid (12 mg) or the glycoside derivative of asiatic acid, asiaticoside (24 mg). Both asiatic acid and asiaticoside are constituents of the marketed dermato logical product Madecassol. Asiaticoside is converted in vivo to asiat ic acid by hydrolytic cleavage of the sugar moiety. Steady-state AUC0- 12h values for asiatic acid on either regime were similar (614 +/- 250 ng.h/ml following asiatic acid compared to 606 +/- 316 ng.h/ml follow ing asiaticoside) indicating comparable bioavailability for asiatic ac id with the two ingredients at approximately equimolar doses. Since as iatic acid is considered to bc the most therapeutically active ingredi ent of Madecassol, the current data suggest that the therapeutic effec ts of asiaticoside may be mediated through conversion to asiatic acid.