GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE R.BR. (GURMAR, MESHASRINGI): A REVIEW

Medicinal plants have always drawn intellectual concerns due to their extraordinary potential to alleviate a wide range of diseases. Gymnema sylvestre is a woody, climbing plant of tropical forests of central and southern India and in parts of Africa. Distribution is worldwide and it is recognized in the traditional medicinal literature of many countries including Australia, Japan, and Vietnam. Some texts refer to Gymnema as Asclepias geminata, Gymnema melicida, and Periploca sylvestris. Gymnema has played an important role in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Its use has been confined primarily to the management of diabetes mellitus and similar hypo/hyperglycemic conditions. Despite the part used being the leaf, another common name of this species is miracle fruit. Gymnemasylvestre R.Br., a potent herb with active ingredients with antidiabetic and antioxidant potential, is one of the best examples. This review paper emphasizes mainly on the various pharmacological activities and various uses of this plant. G. sylvestre is mainly credited for excellent antidiabetic property and can also provide several other properties including antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-obesity, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic activity. Different parts of G. sylvestre plant contain many pharmacologically active compounds like gurmarin, gymnemic acids, saponins, flavonol, glycosides, and other important compounds, enabling this plant to possess various therapeutic potentials. Traditional medicine systems have employed various portions of the plant, such as the roots, stems, and leaves, as cardiotonic, digestive, diuretic, laxative, stimulant, and uterine tonics. This paper aims to describe the various medicinal properties of the G. sylvesre R.Br. plant exhibits.