shati :

Cultivated plant in a herb garden in India Photograph by: J.M.Garg

Gymnema sylvestre (Asclepiadaceae), popularly known as “gurmar” for its distinct property as sugar destroyer, is a reputed herb in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. The phytoconstituents responsible for sweet suppression activity includes triterpene saponins known as gymnemic acids, gymnemasaponins, and a polypeptide, gurmarin.

HISTORICAL AND MYTHOLOGICAL REVIEW:

Gymnema has played an important role in the traditional Ayurvedic medical system for centuries, primarily confined to the management of diabetes mellitus and similar hypo/hyperglycemic conditions. As early as 1930, the pharmacologic effect of the plant was investigated. The plant is available in a number of commercial over-the-counter herbal products.

Taxonomical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
Subkingdom: Streptophyta
Superdivision: Spermatophyta - Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Family: ApocynaceaeAsclepiadaceae
Genus: Gymnema
Species: Gymnema sylvestre

Allied species:

Gymnema sylvestre var. affine (Decne.) Tsiang, Gymnema sylvestre var. ceylanica Hook. f., Gymnema sylvestre var. ceylanicum Hook.f., Gymnema sylvestre var. chinense Benth., Gymnema sylvestre var. decaisneana (Wight) Thwaites, Gymnema sylvestre var. decaisneanum (Wight) Thwaites.

VERNACULAR NAMES

Sanskrit: madhunashini मधुनाशिनी
English: Gurmar, Cowplant, Australian cowplant, periploca of the woods, small Indian ipecacuanha
Hindi: gurmar
Urdu: gurmar sa si nga, sa sri ngi
Telugu: podapatri
Bengali: মেষশৃঙ্গ meshashrunga
Marathi: : बेडकीचा पाला bedakicha pala, गुडमार gudmar
Konkani: कौळी kawli
Oriya: ଲକ୍ଷ୍ମୀ lakshmi, ମେଣ୍ଢା ଶିଙ୍ଗିଆ mendhasingia, ନାଗପୁଷ୍ପୀ nagapushpi
Gujarathi: ગુડમાર gudmar, મધુનાશિની
Tamil: சிறுகுறிஞ்சா cirukurinca, கோகிலம் kokilam
Malayalam: chakkarakolli
Kannada: ಮಧುನಾಶಿನಿ madhunashini
Arabic: Barkista
Chinese: 匙羹藤
German: Waldschlinge
Nepal: Gudamaar
Persian: kista
Sinhalese: Masbedda (මස්බැද්ද) / Muva kiriwel (මුව කිරි වැල්)

Varities:

Classical Categorisation

Bhavaprakasha - Guduchyadi Varga
Dhanvantari Nighantu - Guduchyadi Varga
Kaiyyadeva Nighantu - Oushadhi Varga
Raja Nighantu- Prabhadradi Varga

Definition

Gymnema derives from the Greek words gymnos (γυμνὀς) and nēma (νῆμα) meaning

Synonyms

Synonyms in Ayurveda: Madhunashini

The Hindi and Urdu name gurmar, Sanskrit madhunashini, Malayalam chakkarakolli, and Telugu podapatri, literally mean "sugar destroyer". (Sanskrit) meshasringa translates as "rams horn", a name given to the plant due to the shape of its fruits

Madhunashini - destroys sweet taste
Meshashrungi - leaf resembles the horn of goat
Vartika - climber
Shree vruksha - auspicious
Tikta dugdhika - the juice coming from plant is bitter

Rasa: Kashaya Tikta
Guna: Laghu Ruksha
Veerya: Ushna
Vipaka: Katu
Karma: Vathakaphahara

The herb exhibits a broad range of therapeutic effects as an effective natural remedy for diabetes, besides being used for arthritis, diuretic, anemia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolemia, cardiopathy, asthma, constipation, microbial infections, indigestion, and anti-inflammatory.

Cultivation:

The plant grows best in areas with a well-distributed rainfall of 600 - 1,000mm annually

Propogation:

The propagation through seed germination is difficult due to low viability of the seeds; therefore, the alternative has been root cuttings which are generally planted in the months of June and July

Harvesting:

The seeds are sown in the months of November-December and harvested from September to February.

Phytochemistry:

The leaves of G. sylvestre contain triterpene saponins belonging to oleanane and dammarane classes. The major constituents like gymnemic acids and gymnemasaponins are members of oleanane type of saponins while gymnemasides are dammarane saponins . Other phytoconstituents include anthraquinones, flavones, hentriacontane, pentatriacontane, phytin, resins, tartaric acid, formic acid, butyric acid, lupeol, β-amyrin related glycosides, stigmasterol, and calcium oxalate

PHARMACOLOGY:

Important formulations

1. Amrita mehari Churna

2. Mahavisagarbha Taila,

3. Ayaskrti,

4. Nyagrodhadi Curna,

5. Mrtasanji Vani Sura

Parts used for medicinal purpose

Fruit, Leaves, Root, ,

Dosage:

Liquid extract (1:1): 25–75 mL/week or 3.6– 11.0 mL/day.

Dried leaf infusion: 6–60 g/day

Antidote:

as a snake bite antidote

Controversy:

In bhavaprakasha, karkatashrungi and meshashrungi are equated with ajashrungi, actually both are different

Commercial value:

Gumar is a well-known Ayurvedic herb with a very good reputation in the treatment of diabetes and is also used as a green vegetale. It is gathered from the wild for local use and is also sold in local markets as a food and a medicine

Morphology:

Leaf simple, opposite, elliptical or ovate, petiolate, petiole 6 to 12 mm long and pubescent; lamina 3 to 6 cm long and 1 to 3 cm broad; acute or shortly acuminate; more or less pubescent on both sides, base rounded or cordate, venation reticulate; odour, unpleasant; taste, bitter and acrid.

Histology:

Leaf –

Petiole – Nearly semi circular in outline having a deep furrow, shows a single layered epidermis covered with thick cuticle; multicellular uniseriate trichomes present; cortex composed of 3 or 4 layers of collenchyma and 3 or 4 layers of thin walled parenchymatous cells with intercellular spaces; vascular bundle bicollateral, conjoint and 3 in number, one central larger and crescent shaped and 2 lateral and smaller in size; a few rosette crystals of calcium oxalate present in cortical region.

Midrib – Epidermis and trichome as in petiole; epidermis followed by 2 or 3 layers of collenchyma adjacent to the lower surface; vascular bundle crescent shaped, bicollateral, conjoint and situated in centre; rest of the tissue between collenchyma and vascular bundles consisting of polygonal thin-walled parenchymatous cells with intercellular spaces, a few having rosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

Lamina – Shows dorsiventral structure; epidermis and trichome as in petiole and midrib; trichome cylindrical, consists of 3 to 6 cells nearly similar in width and variable in length, terminal cells blunt, most of them curved inwards from the leaf surface; palisade 1 or 2 layers; spongy parenchyma irregular, arranged with distinct intercellular spaces, rosette crystals of calcium oxalate present in this region; stomata paracytic, present only on lower surface; palisade ratio 7 or 8; stomatal index 20 to 25, vein islet number 7 to 10 per sq. mm.

Geographical distribution:

The plant is found in tropical and subtropical regions, well distributed in parts of central and southern India and in the southern part of China, tropical Africa, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka

ECOLOGICAL ASPECT:

Secondary forest, riverine forest and dry shrub savannah, usually on sandy or loamy soils. It occurs scattered and is locally abundant and common

Plant conservation:

Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. belong to the vulnerable category

General Use:

Although the herb is widely used as a naturopathic treatment for diabetes , it also demonstrates promising effects in the treatment of obesity, arthritis, hyperlipidemia, Parkinsonism, and hypercholesterolemia . Furthermore, the bioactive compounds of plant have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. The leaves of the plant are used for the treatment of obesity, dental caries , antibiotic, in stomachache, blood purifier, and in rheumatism

Therapeutic Uses:

It is used in diabetes, weight loss and regulate the weight of the body. Whole plant is used for the treatment of cold, ulcer, piles, colic pain, skin diseases, rheumatism, blood-vessel inflammation, haemorrhoids, kill the worms and snake bites or wounds. It is useful in cough, fever, jaundice, anaemia, dental plaque, treatment of gastric troubles, treatment of dropsy, dysuria, glycosuria and eye problem. Plant extract is used as a liver tonic, appetizer, expectorant, stimulant, laxative and emetic.

Systemic Use:

Roots and leaves are used internally in jaundice, diabetes, decreased digestive fire, and cardiac debility. Roots and seeds are used for fumigation in cough, dyspnoea and rhinitis

Administration:

Decoction

Powder

Extract

Pharmacological:

Aksisula, Svasa, Daha, Hrdroga, Kasa, Krmiroga, Kustha, Mutrakacchra, Prameha, Raktavikara, Vrana, Visavikara, Vidrdhi, Vatahara.

Clinical trials:

1. Tripathi R, Verma S, Easwari TS, Shah H. Standardization of some herbal antidiabetic drugs in poly herbal ormulation and their comparative study. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 2013; 4(8):3256-3265

2. Kumar V, Bhandari U, Tripathi CD, Khanna G. Protective Effect of Gymnema sylvestre Ethanol Extract on High Fat Diet-induced Obese Diabetic Wistar Rats. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2014; 76(4):315-322

Research:

1. Killedar SG, Rathod AM, Salunkhe RM, Bhore NV, 1. Mahamuni SS, Parameters studied for development of gymnema sylvestre leaf extracts: As injectable anti-

diabetic. International Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy. 2012; 3(2):283-285.

2. Kumar MS, Astalakshmi N, Arshida PT, Deepthi K, Nidhin DM, Shafna PM et al. A concise review on gurmar -Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2015; 4(10):430-448.

3. Kumar PS, Husain MK thnobotanical, preliminary phytochemical, extraction assessment study of gurmar buti leaves (Gymnema sylvestre R.Br.) and their immense traditional therapeutic values. European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2015; 2(4):275-294

Precautions:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking gymnema if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Toxicity studies:

Gymnema is POSSIBLY SAFE when used appropriately for up to 20 months.

Use in other system of medicine:

In Eastern and Ayurvedic medicine, G. sylvestre leaves and extracts have been used to treat eye diseases, allergies, constipation, cough, dental caries, obesity, stomach ailments, and viral infections. G. sylvestre has also been used as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and aphrodisiac.

CONCLUSION:

Gurmar is a famed plant, revered for its use in treatment of diabetes for nearly two millennia. The Hindi name Gurmar actually means diabetes killer. It is a large climber, rooting at nodes. Leaves are elliptic, narrow tipped, base narrow. Leaves are smooth above, and sparsely or densely velvety beneath. Pale yellow flowers are small, in axillary and lateral umbel like cymes. Stalk of the umbel is long. Sepals are long, ovate, obtuse, velvety. Flowers are pale yellow, bell-shaped. One of the alternative medicines to both diabetes and obesity could be Gurmar plant preparation, as it known to have a good effect for curbing of diabetes by blocking sugar binding sites and hence not allowing the sugar molecules to accumulate in the body.