Gymnema sylvestre is an herb native to the tropical forests of southern and central India and Sri Lanka. Common names include Gymnema, cowplant, Australian cowplant, and Periploca of the woods. The plant is best known for its leaf extract to suppress the sweet receptors of the tongue. The active ingredient that causes this physiological reaction is gurmarin, a polypeptide made of 35 amino acids.
Despite the part used being the leaf, a common name of this species is miracle fruit, a name shared by two other species: Synsepalum dulcificum and Thaumatococcus daniellii.
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Description
The plant is a climber with leaves having soft hairs on the upper surface. The leaves are elongate oval shaped. It has small yellow umbelliferous inflorescence which is produced throughout the year.
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Properties
Gymnema sylvestre has long been thought of as a medicinal plant in Asia. The plants contain a large number of chemicals, including triterpenoids, which may have pharmacological properties. The constituent saponins have the effect of suppressing the taste of sweetness. Extracts from the plant are the subject of research into potential medicinal and industrial applications.
Vernacular Indic names
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- Bengali meshashrunga - ????????
- Gujarati gudmar - ??????, madhunashini - ?????????
- Hindi gurmar - ???????
- Kannada madhunashini - ?????????
- Konkani kawli - ????
- Malayalam chakkarakolli - ?????????????
- Marathi bedakicha pala - ??????? ????, gudmar - ??????
- Oriya lakshmi - ???????, mendhasingia - ?????? ???????, nagapushpi - ?????????
- Sanskrit madhunaashini - ?????????, meshasringa - ???????
- Sinhala ???????? - Masbaedda
- Tamil sirukurinjan - ????????????, kokilam, ???????
- Telugu Podapatri - ????????
- Urdu gurmar - ?????
Etymology
Gymnema derives from the Greek words "gymnos" (??????) and "n?ma" (????) meaning "naked" and "thread" respectively; the species epitheton sylvestre means "of the forest" in Latin.
The Hindi name Gurmar, Sanskrit Madhunashini, Urdu Gurmar, Malayalam Chakkarakolli and Telugu Podapatri, literally mean "sugar destroyer". (Sanskrit) Meshasringa translates as "ram's horn", a name given to the plant due to the shape of its fruits.
Uses
1. Diabetes. Early research suggests when a specific gymnema extract (GS4) is taken orally along with insulin or diabetes medications, blood sugar reduction in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes is enhanced.
2. Weight loss. Early research suggests that taking a specific combination of gymnema extract, hydroxycitric acid, and niacin-bound chromium by mouth for 8 weeks might reduce body weight in people who are overweight or obese.
3. Stimulating digestion.
4. As a laxative and diuretic.
Further evidence and research is needed to validate gymnema for these uses.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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