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| Latin Name |
English Name |
Sanskrit Names |
Hindi Names |
Gymnema sylvestre
R.Br. (Asclepiadaceae) |
Gymnema |
Meshashringi,
Vishani, Madhunashini |
Gurmar, Merasingi |
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| History |
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This plant was called Meshashringi or
"ram's horn" in Sanskrit. Its use in snake bite as
a remedy was well known to the natives of the Konkan in India
and the natives of Southern India. A curious circumstance connected
with this plant was first noticed by Mr. Edgeworth, namely,
that if chewed it destroys the power of the tongue to appreciate
the taste of sugar and all saccharine substances. This property
of the leaves has been tested in 1887, carefully by Mr. D. Hooper.
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| Habitat |
It is found in the Deccan Peninsula,
extending to parts of northern and western India. It is occasionally
cultivated as a medicinal plant.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
G.sylvestre
is a large, more or less pubescent, woody climber. The leaves are
opposite, elliptic or ovate; the flowers are small, yellow and in
umbellate cymes; the follicles are terete, lanceolate and up to 3
inches in length.
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| Principal
Constituents |
Aqueous extract of
the leaves contains antisweet principles gymnema saponins I-IV and
gymnemic acids I-IX1.
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| Pharmacology |
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Water-soluble extracts
were tested in streptozotocin treated rats. Blood pressure and glucose
level return to normal levels after 60 days of oral administration.
Also in pancreas islet number and b-cell
number were doubled. This herbal therapy appears to bring about blood
glucose homeostasis through increased serum insulin levels provided
by repair presentation of the endocrine pancreas2().The
Alcoholic extract of the leaves of G.sylvestre was studied
to know the hepatoprotective action in a dose of 300mg/kg against
CCl4induced damage. The extracts were found to be effective in preventing
damage, which was evidenced by morphological, biochemical and functional
parameters3.
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| Clinical
Studies |
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GS4, an extract from
the leaves of G.sylvestre, was administered (400mg/day) for 18-20
months as a supplement to the conventional oral drugs. During GS4
supplementation, the patients showed a significant reduction in blood
glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and glycosylated plasma proteins,
and conventional drug dosage could be decreased. Five of the 22 type
2 diabetic patients were able to discontinue their conventional drug
and maintain their blood glucose homeostasis with GS4 alone4.
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| Toxicology |
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Little is known about the long-term
safety of the plant, but it generally has not been associated with
human toxicity5.
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| Indications |
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Gymnemic acid has anti-diabetic
property. It has an inhibitory effect on plasma glucose and serum
insulin in man. The plant is stomachic, stimulant, laxative and diuretic.
The leaves of the plant, when chewed, possess the remarkable property
of paralysing, for a few hours, the sense of taste for sweet and bitter
substances; the taste for acid foods is not affected while the taste
for salty foods is very slightly, if at all, influenced.
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| Product
Range |
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Diabecon (GlucoCare),
AyurSlim, Meshashringi.
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| References |
- Chem. Abst. 1991, 114,58873, 03562; 1989, 110,191267; Yoshikawa
et. al., Phytochemistry, 1992, 31, 237.
- Shanmugasundaram, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, V30 (3), 1990,
pp.265-279.
- Rana, Fitoterapia, v.63 (1): p.60-62, 1992.
- Baskaran, K. et. al., J. of Ethnopharmacol., 1990, v.,
30(3), 295-305.
- Liberti, L., Lawrence Review of Natural Products, August 1993,
1.
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