The Main Mediator of Gotu Kola Effects in C. elegans Is Not The Neurotransmitter Serotonin

As the modern world of medicine is progressing quickly and medicines are constantly being artificially produced, more people are turning to herbal remedies, used traditionally in the Eastern world. One such treatment, which is one of the most spiritual and rejuvenating herbs in the ancient practice of Ayurveda, is Gotu kola, or Centella asiatica. This herb is said to have many uses, yet this herb has yet to have proof of true biological effects. This experiment was performed in order to test whether or not Gotu kola has a true biological effect. We hypothesized that this herb extract might work by inducing the neurotransmitter serotonin. In humans, serotonin regulates, among other things, the ability to sleep and the person’s mood, both of which Gotu kola claims to have a positive effect upon (it supposedly aids with insomnia and makes the patient happier). In Caenorhabditis elegans, increased serotonin levels cause an increase in egg-laying. By comparing tph-1 (nematodes deficient in serotonin) worms with wild-type (N2) worms, this experiment gave insight into the effects of Gotu kola on nematodes and whether or not those effects were an effect of the neurotransmitter serotonin. The results of this experiment show that the worms were affected by Gotu kola, but the effect is not mediated by serotonin. More experimentation should be performed in order to discover the main active component of Gotu kola.