GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE

Common name: Gurmar • Hindi: छॊटा दूधीलता chhota-dudhilata, गुढ़मार gudmar, गुरमार gurmar, मॆढ़शिंगी medhashingi, • Marathi: kavali, bedaki, bedakuli, kalikardori, kaoli • Tamil: adigam, amudupushpam, ayagam, kogilam • Malayalam: chakkarakkolli, madhunasini • Telugu: bodaparta, podapatra • Kannada: kadhasige, sannagera, sannagerasehambu • Oriya: meshasringi • Urdu: gurmarگرمار, gurmar booti, gurmar patta • Sanskrit: ajaballi, अजगंधिनी ajaghandini, कर्णिका karnika, kshinavartta, मधुनसिनी madhunasini

Botanical name: Gymnema sylvestre    Family: Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family)

Introduction: Gurmar is a famed plant, revered for its use in treatment of diabetes for nearly two millennia. The Hindi name Gurmar actually means diabetes killer. It is a large climber, rooting at nodes. Leaves are elliptic, narrow tipped, base narrow. Leaves are smooth above, and sparsely or densely velvety beneath. Pale yellow flowers are small, in axillary and lateral umbel like cymes. Stalk of the umbel is long. Sepals are long, ovate, obtuse, velvety. Flowers are pale yellow, bell-shaped. Corona is single, with 5 fleshy scales.
Medicinal uses: One of the alternative medicines to both diabetes and obesity could be Gurmar plant preparation, as it known to have a good effect for curbing of diabetes by blocking sugar binding sites and hence not allowing the sugar molecules to accumulate in the body.

Geographical distribution

The plant occurs throughout India and more

common is subtropical forest.

Chemical composition

The bark and fruits have medicinal properties.

Therapeutic uses

Fruit is astringent, cooling and stomachic. Root bark is used in rheumatism. Leaves are used as an application to pustullar eruptions.

Folk medicinal uses

Roots are ground to make a paste which is applied on the back before going to

bed in case of backache.

Flowers and Fruits : June-July december (fruit)