Common Name:

Ram's horn (English)

Meshashringi: As its fruits are of the shape of the horn of ram.

Madhunashni: As it destroys the sensation of sweet taste. In this sense it is so much effective that when a fellow take a spoon full of sugar after keeping Meshashringi powder on tongue; he will feel like he is having some sand powder with out any taste.

Gurmar: Means that kills jaggery; here also jaggery stands for sweet taste. 

Gymnema Sylvestre – Asclepiadaceae

Rasa (Taste): Kashaya (Astringent); Tikta (Bitter)

Guna (Characteristics) - Laghu (Light); Ruksha (Un- unctuous)

Veerya (Potency) - Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – Katu (Pungent)

The major bioactive constituents of Gurmar are a group of oleanane type triterpenoid saponins known as gymnemic acids. The latter contain several acylated (tigloyl, methylbutyroyl etc.,) derivatives of deacylgymnemic acid (DAGA) which is 3-O-glucuronide of gymnemagenin (3, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28-hexahydroxy-olean-12-ene) 2. The individual gymnemic acids (saponins) include gymnemic acids I-VII, gymnemosides A-F, gymnemasaponins

Gurmar leaves contain triterpene saponins belonging to oleanane and dammarene classes. Oleanane saponins are gymnemic acids and gymnemasaponins, while dammarene saponins are gymnemasides. Besides this, other plant constituents are flavones, anthraquinones, hentri-acontane, pentatriacontane, ? and ?- chlorophylls, phytin, resins, d-quercitol, tartaric acid, formic acid, butyric acid, lupeol, ?-amyrin related glycosides and stigmasterol. The plant extract also tests positive for alkaloids. Leaves of this species yield acidic glycosides and anthroquinones and their derivatives.

Gymnemic acids have antidiabetic, antisweetener and anti-inflammatory activities. 

Gurmar pacifies aggravated Kapha and Vata Dosha; so it is useful in management of diseases of Kapha/ Vata and Kapha- Vata origin.

• Kushtha Pranuta: Gurmar is useful in management of all skin diseases.
  
• Meha Pranuta: Gurmar is useful in management of all metabolic disorders including Diabetes.
  
• Deepana: Gurmar ignites digestive fire in stomach.
  
• Sramsana: Gurmar helps in easy evacuation of impacted feces from rectum
  
• Krimi- Vrana- Vishapaham: Gurmar is useful in all infectious conditions.
  

• The principle constituent of Gurmar  is gymnemic acid, which has anti-diabetic properties. It diminishes excessive blood sugar. 
  
• Gurmar has also been shown to have a regenerative effect on pancreatic beta cells and is insulinotropic (that which stimulates or affects the production and activity of insulin).
  
• Gurmar helps decrease the craving for sugar. It temporarily abolishes the taste of sugar and helps neutralize excessive sugar present in the body in diabetes mellitus. 
  
• Gurmar possesses anti-allergic, antiviral, lipid lowering and other effects.
  
• Porchezhian E, Dobriyal RM. An overview on the advances of Gymnema sylvestre: chemistry, pharmacology and patents. Pharmazie. 2003 Jan;58(1):5-12.
• Gurmar blocked sugar in the digestive system, resulting in a decrease in blood sugar. This is known as a hypoglycemic effect. This action has been studied since the late 1930s.
  
• Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of Gurmar  in diabetes. Gurmar helped control blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin release from the beta cells in the islets of langerhans.
  
• Persaud SJ, Al-Majed H, Raman A, Jones PM. Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin release in vitro by increased membrane permeability. J Endocrinol. 1999 Nov; 163(2):207-12.
• Researchers suggest that Gurmar enhances endogenous insulin production, possibly by pancreatic regeneration, as levels of C-peptide, a by-product of the conversion of pro-insulin to insulin, were apparently raised (in comparison to both the insulin alone group and normal subjects).
  
• Shanmugasundaram ER, Rajeswari G, Baskaran K, et al. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3):281-94.

Leaves, Roots

Leaves powder 3-6gm; decoction of roots: 50- 100ml.

Ayurveda Herbs