The name is only the first layer
TECA stands for Titrated Extract of Centella Asiatica. It should be read as a specified extract profile rather than assumed to be a single isolated compound. Before interpreting a percentage, identify which constituents it describes and how that result was obtained.
A worked supplier-profile example
PINHONBIO® TECA (PH-NP 021) identifies asiaticoside together with the free acids asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Its published profile specifies 36–44% asiaticoside and 54–66% combined free genins, using external-standard HPLC on a dried basis. Those are the conditions of this particular profile, not a universal definition for every material sold under the TECA name.
Four questions for the analytical record
First, identify the named constituents. Second, determine whether the result is a constituent assay, an aggregate assay or a chromatographic peak-area distribution. Third, establish the reference standard and result basis. Finally, connect the result to the correct specification and batch.
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Constituent names | Shows what the reported total includes |
| Quantification method | Defines how the quantity was measured |
| Result basis | Distinguishes dried-basis values from other reporting bases |
| Individual results | Prevents a combined fraction being treated as a fixed ratio |
A total is not an individual ratio
A combined fraction does not fix the proportion of every constituent within it. Request the individual results when that distinction matters to the study. Similarly, a peak-area percentage must not be read as a mass-based constituent assay unless the analytical method establishes that relationship.
Use composition to frame the next trial
The profile helps define what enters the formulation. It does not establish an efficacy ranking against another Centella ingredient. Compare the material dossier first, then design a formulation study that measures the endpoint of interest under comparable conditions.
What to keep in the development record
Keep the full ingredient name, supplier grade, constituent declaration, method, result basis and corresponding batch record together. That small set of fields is more useful than a standalone headline percentage when a formulation is transferred or a material is changed.
Sources & scope
Supplier material reviewed October 1, 2026. General evaluation recommendations are editorial perspectives, not reported PINHONBIO test results.