Gymnema sylvestre Pharmacognosy Pharmacolgy

1. INTRODUCTION
BOTANICAL NAME
Gymnema sylvestre
FAMILY
Asclepiadaceae (milk weed)
COMMON NAME
Gurmar booti
ENGLISH NAME
Sugar destroyer and periploca of wood
PART USED
Leaves, root and stem
FLOWER
Pale yellow and bell shaped
LEAVES
Narrow tipped elliptic smooth green leaves

2. CHEMICAL CONTITUENTS
1. Gymnemic acid
2. Gymnemagenin
3. Gymnestogenin
4. Gurmarine
5. Gymnemagenol
6. Betain
7. Choline
8. Trimethylamine
9. Hentriacontane
10. Pentatriacontane
11. Phytin
12. Tartaric acid
13. Formic acid
14. Anthraquinone derivatives
15. d-quercitol

3. SOLUBILITY
Gymnemic acid is less soluble in lipid so that its passage
from skin difficult therefore, its gymnemic acid
phaspholipid complex is prepared.

4. USES
1. Gymnema sylvestre is used as anti-diabetic.
2. It is used for weight loss.
3. It is used in asthema.
4. It is also used in snake bite.
5. It is used as anti-inflammatory.
6. It is used as anti-hypercholesterolemic.
7. It is used in constipation.
8. It is used in arthritis.
9. It is used in cardiopathy.
10. It is used in microbial infection.
11. It is also used in some respiratory problems like cough.
12. It is also used in cancer treatment.

5. MECHANISM OF ACTION
1-Gymnemic acid destroyes the ability to discriminate sweet taste.The atomic
arrangement of gymnemic acid is similar with glucose molecule.so they
fill the receptor location on the taste buds thereby preventing its
activation by sugar molecule.similarly gymnemic acid fill the receptor
location in the absorbtive external layer of the intestine,thereby
preventing the sugar molecule absorbtion by the intestine.In the result of
this low blood sugar level occure.
2-There are some possible mechanisms by which the gymnemic acid exerts its
hypoglycemic activity are,
1. It increases the secretion of insuline.
2. It promotes regeneration of islet cells of pancreas.
3. It increases utilization of glucose.
4. It causes inhibition of glucose absorbtion from intestine.

6. MECHANISM OF ACTION
3- Obesity also the cause of diabetes because fats release resistin
harmone which produce resistance against insuline in receptors
and receptors can not bind with insuline and in resultant blood
sugar level increased.
4- Gymnemic acid curb the binding of triglycerides and cholesterol to
their receptors in the intestine and inhibits the absorbtion of them
to treat obesity.
5- Gymnemagenol in leaves of gymnema sylvestre is used to inhibit the
prolification of the cells and used as anti-cancer.
6- Gymnemic acid increases protection against leucotrienes and free
redicals and histamine release from mast cells was inhibited by
gymnemic acid to treat inflammation.

7. MECHANISM OF ACTION
7- Ethanolic extract of gymnema sylvestre leaves demonstrated anti-
microbial activity against bacillus pumilis,bacillus
subtilis,pseudomonas eruginosa and staphylococcus aureus etc.

8. DOSE
1. 200 – 400mg extract daily standardized 25% gymnemic acid.
2. 100mg capsule taken three to four times in a day.
3. The recommended dose for powder gymnema sylvestre leave is
0.5 – 1 spoon(2 – 4 g) per day.
DOSAGE FORM
Gymnema sylvester is found in capsule and powder form.

9. SIDE EFFECTS
1. Hepatotoxicity is its side effect.
2. Chronic use of this herb can lower blood pressure.
3. Gymnemic acid and Gurmarine supresses the ability of the
toungue to detect sweet taste.

10. TOXICITY
1. Some neurological effects are observed after taking the over dose
of this herb.
2. Some autonomical effects are also observed.
3. Hypoglycemic effects are also seen after taking over dose of
gymnema sylvestre.

11. PRECAUTIONS
1. Don not use in pragnency and in lactation.
2. Don not use for those patients who are suffered already in liver
and kidney disorders.
3. Diabetic patients on medication should be carefully monitored
their blood sugar level when taking this herb because it may
further reduce blood sugar level.
4. Consult with your physician because high dose of it can cause
hypoglycemic effect.

12. INTERACTION WITH DRUG
1. The optimal doses of hydroxy-citric acid with gymnema sylvestre and to
a great degree the combination of hydroxycitric acid niacin bounded
chromium and gymnema sylvestre extract can serve as an effective and
safe weight loss farmula that can facilitate reduction in excess body
weight.
2. The combination of glibenclamide (Sulphonylurease) and gymnema
sylvesre showed maximum hypoglycemic action and decrease in serum
cholesterol level.This combination produced greater hypoglycemic effect
than gymnema sylvestre.
3. Gymnema sylvestre may increase the blood sugar lowering effect when
interacted with oral drugs for diabetes such as
glipizide,glyburide,glyset,and precose etc.
4. The cholesterol lowering effects of drugs such as
crestor,lovastatin,lipitor,pravastatin may be increased by taking these
drugs with gymnema sylvestre.

13. INTERACTION WITH HERBS
Combination of gymnema sylvestre and some herbs increase its
hypoglycemic activity like,
 Eleutherococcus senticoses
 Zingiber officinale
 Pueraria lobata
 Panax ginseng
Gymnema sylvestre with some herbs inhance effect of lowering of
cholesterole such as,
 Allium sativum
 Commiphora wightii

15. REFERENCES
1. www.anniesremedy.com/herb-detail228.php.
2. www.clarksnutrition.com>table of contents>herbs and suppliments.
3. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qip.......
4. www.drug.com>professionals>natural products(pro)
5. Restorativemedicine.org/…..and-drug…/gymnema-gymnema-sylvestre/.
6. https://books.google.com.pk/books?isbn=0323029647.
7. Medicinalplants.us/gymnema-sylvestre-dosage-interactions-practice-
points.
8. www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3435100364.html.
9. www.hindawi.com/journal/bmri/2014/830285/.
10. www.wjpr.net/download/article/1404207638.pdf.
11. www.wholehealthmd.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?nm.....library...
12. Pharmatips.doyouknow.in/…./pharmacological-action-of-gymnema-
sylvestre…..