Gymnema

Scientific Name(s): Gymnema inodum, Gymnema montanum, Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) Schult., Periploca sylvestris
Common Name(s): Gurmar, Gurmarbooti, Kogilam, Madhunashini, Mangala gymnema, Merasingi, Meshashringi, Meshavalli, Miracle plant, Periploca of the woods, Podapatri, Ram’s horn, Sarkaraikolli, Shardunika, Sirukurinja, Small Indian ipecac, Vishani

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Sep 20, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

The plant has been used in traditional medicine, most notably to control blood glucose, which seems to have the strongest evidence of its historical uses. Use as a lipid-lowering agent, for weight loss, and for the inhibition of caries have also been investigated, primarily in rodent studies. However, limited clinical information is available to support the use of gymnema for any indication.

Dosing

Limited controlled studies exist. Clinical studies investigating antidiabetic effects have typically used 200 or 400 mg extract daily standardized to contain 25% gymnemic acids.

Contraindications

None established.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

A case report of hepatotoxicity exists.

Toxicology

Information is lacking.

Scientific Family

• Asclepiadaceae (milkweed)

Botany

G. sylvestre is a woody, climbing plant indigenous to the tropical forests of central and southern India. Distribution of gymnema is worldwide, and it is recognized in the traditional medicinal literature of many countries, including Australia, Japan, and Vietnam. The opposite, elliptic/ovate leaves are most commonly used, but the stem also appears to possess some pharmacologic activity. The plant bears small, yellowish flowers. Gymnema is also known as Asclepias geminata Roxb., Gymnema melicida Edg., and Pinus sylvestris Willd. Gymnema montanum has also been investigated.Kanetkar 2007, Leach 2007, PLANTS 2011

History

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. The leaves have also been used for stomach ailments, constipation, water retention, and liver disease. The flowers, leaves, and fruits have been used in the treatment of either high or low blood pressure, tachycardia, and arrhythmias. Chewing the leaves destroys the ability to discriminate sweet taste, giving it the common Hindi name of gurmar or "sugar destroyer." The plant has been used alone and as a component of the Ayurvedic compound Tribang shila, a mixture of tin, lead, zinc, G. sylvestre leaves, neem (Melia azadirachta) leaves, Enicostemma littorale, and jambul (Eugenia jambolana) seeds. 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.Leach 2007, Mhaskar 1930, Windholz 1983

Chemistry

Gymnemic acids, a group of triterpenoid saponins, are the main class of chemical constituents isolated from G. sylvestre and are thought to be responsible for the observed antidiabetic activity. The quantity of gymnemic acids extracted from the leaves varies according to the location of cultivation and the time of harvesting; concentrations varying between 0.67% and 1.06% have been reported. Multiple gymnemic acid congeners have been identified, and high performance liquid chromatography methods for standardizatio...