GURMAR: The Sweet Destroying Wizard

Gymnema sylvestre 武靴藤, photo taken by Bahamut Chao and retrieved under Creative Commons licensure.

Traveler, word on the street is that you are looking for information on a plant that has been sold for thousands of years as a cure for everything. Well, I’ve got news for you, bub: you will never find the plant you are looking for. There is no such thing as a plant that will cure everything.

While this plant-among many- carries an outsized reputation among quack-cart peddlers as a “cure” for what ails you, one thing remains true:

This plant wields a mischievous power that only a fictional child-wizard should have.

Today we are visiting with an herb who produces a secondary metabolite that— if you were to chew on its leaves—temporarily disables your ability to perceive sweet flavors. Imagine that for a moment! What would an orange taste like? A date? An apple? What would the experience of life be like without sweetness? Perhaps, we will find this plant may have some scientifically demonstrable medicinal value as well.

*psst… it sure seems like it does.

Welcome to a world where a botanical child-wizard points its branch at you, yells the incantation, DULCIS DESTRUI, and renders you suddenly incapable of tasting sweet flavors.

Welcome to the bizarre, and magical world of

Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm. :

GURMAR!

Gymnema sylvestre image by Siddarth Machado retrieved under Creative Commons licensure.

Synonyms — Marsdenia sylvestris (Retz.) P.I.Forst.; Periploca sylvestris RETZ

Family — Apocynaceae

Family Characteristics — Apocynaceae family members are herbaceous plants that contain milky sap with opposite and simple leaves and bisexual flowers [1].

Informal Names — Australian cowplant, gymnema, periploca of the woods, ram’s horn, small Indian Ipecacuanha; barkista, gurmar, julmar (ARABIC); chhota-dudhilata, chhotadudhilata, gudmar, gurmar {meaning: sugar destroyer}, jangli urad, jangli-urad, kavali, medhashingi, merasimgi, merasingi, meshasingi (HINDI); chi geng cheng (CHINESE); hiriya kaage donde, kadasige, kadhasige, madhunaasha, madhunaashini, sanna garase humbu, sannagera, sannagera sehambu, sannagerasehambu, sannagersehambu, sennagerse, uriyamare (KANNADA); Sirukurinjan (IRULA); cakkarakkolli, madhunasini (MALAYALUM); bedaki, bedakuli, kaabalee, kaalikaradodi, kalikardori, kaoli, karadodee, kavali, kavli, madphali, meshashringi, parapatraha, vakandi, vakhande, vakundi, wakandi, wakhandi (MARATHI); kista (PERSIAN); gokhru (UNANI); ajaballi, ajaghandini, ajashrangi, ajashringi, ajashringika, ajasringi, ajasrngi, akshibheshaja, anyada, avartini, bahalchakshu, bisharni, chakrashreni, chakshu, chakshurbahala, chakshushya, grihadruma, karnika, kshinavartta, madhunasini, maurvi, medashrangi, medhasingi, medhrashingi, meghaballi, mendhasingi, mesasrngi, mesharingi, meshashrangi, meshashringi, meshasringi, meshavalli, meshavishanika, meshshringi, netraushadhi, putrashringi, sarpadanshtrika, sarpadarushtrika, tiktadughdha, vartika, vishani, vishanika, vrikshikali (SANSCRIT); aadigam, adigam, aliyakam, amudupudbam, amudupushpam, amutaccevitam, amutacevitam, amutapuram, amutapuspacceti, amutaputpam, amutupuram, anantam, ariyakam, atavankani, atikam, attikkolikacceti, attikolikam, ayagam, ayakam, cakaca, cakacacceti, cakkan, calakacceti, calakam, carakam, carankam, carkkarai kolli, chiru-kurinchan, ciru kurincan, ciru kurincan ver, cirukurinca, cirukurincacceti, cirukurincan, citcuciyam, cittiram, cittiratam, cornavatiyatimatukam, kalaviluti, kali, kannu minnayam kodi, katuvalli, kavali, kitcuciyam, kogilam, kokila, kokilacceti, kokilam, kokilam, kokulam, kotikkurinca, kulalitaccam, kurintai, kuriyaparani, maccirunki, mesacirunki, muttupparappi, natayantanancari, nocitacceti, nocitam, panatantiri, passaam, patavirutcam, puliyam, pulliyacceti, pulliyam, purkurinci, purukurincicceti, sakkaraikkolli, shagasharam, shiru kurunja, shiru-kurunja, shirukurinja, siru-kurinjan, sirukurincha, sirukurinjan, sirukurumkay, sirukurunja, tetcanavirutci, tiruparani, unmantaki, unmattaki, sirroo coorinja vayrv (TAMIL); sa si nga, sa sri ngi (TIBETAN); gurmar, gurmar booti, gurmar patta (URDU).

Binomial Etymology — Gymn- is derived from GREEK and means naked, or bare; sylvestr- is derived from LATIN and means woods, or forest [4].

Binomial Pronunciation: — jum·NEE·muh sil·VEH·struh

Gymnema sylvestre Description

Gymnema sylvestre is a white-latex-imbued woody shrub with a climbing (scandent) habit. Stems emerge from a long taproot, and are covered in rusty-brownish/orange hairs when young. The older stems, which can be up to 5 meters (16 ft) long, are pocked with corky pores which allow for gas exchange (lenticels/lenticellate) [16].

[15] Use this handy-dandy guide to any leaf-morphology technical terms below.

The leaves are opposite, but can be elliptic, suborbicular, ovate, or obovate. All leaf surfaces are covered in fine hairs (pubescent) [16].

The flowers emerge from above, or below leaf axils in subumbiliform clusters. The flower peduncles, pedicels, and calyx are pubescent. The individual file-pedaled flower corollas are of a creamy white, orange, or yellow color [16].

Gymnema sylvestre Habitat

Preferring sandy soils, G. sylvestre is native to tropical and subtropical old world forests, dry forest margins, thickets, and adjacent dry brushlands [16].

Gymnema sylvestre’s approximate native range [16]

Gymnema sylvestre CULINARY USES

Irular peoples of SOUTHERN INDIA drop one leaf of G. sylvestre into their curries (despite this producing a bitter flavor) as a matter of general practice [17].

Gymnema sylvestre in SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

The 2019 omnibus review, Comprehensive Review on Phytochemicals, Pharmacological and Clinical Potentials of Gymnema sylvestre, was heavily referenced in the below sections [19].

Gymnema sylvestre and Diabetes

The most widely studied function of G. sylvestre is its anti-diabetic activity. Studies have found that ethanolic, water, and methanolic extracts lowered blood glucose levels by 46%, 26%, and 12%, respectively [19]. There are three proposed mechanisms for this activity.

The first proposal is that G. sylvestre prevents the absorption of glucose in the blood somehow; the second proposal is that gymnemic acids prevent the absorption of sugars in the small intestine, and the third proposal suggests that they may help to regenerate beta cells responsible for secreting insulin [19]. The latter process would only be helpful to Type 2 diabetics (T2D), as the Type 1 diabetic (T1D) immune response would likely crush any novel beta cell regeneration.

Clinical human trials supported G. sylvestre aiding in weight loss as well as lowering blood triglyceride, glucose, and cholesterol levels [19]. Stunningly, a widely cited clinical study, Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, showed significant reductions in HbA1c levels among 27 T1D patients after using 400 milligrams of the water-soluble extract of G. sylvestre for 6-30 months [21]. This was predictably associated with a reduction in external insulin use, glycosylated plasma protein levels, and fasting blood glucose levels as well [21].

Gymnema sylvestre and Anti-Cancer Activity

The constituent compound, gymnemagenol, showed promise as a non-proliferative/ anti-cancer agent in HeLa cell lines [20]. Ethanolic, ethyl and chloroform extracts have shown promising anticancer action against various experimental lung and breast cancer cell lines [19].

Gymnema sylvestre ETHNOBOTANY 

AMONG PEOPLES OF INDIA

Indigenous people of SOUTHERN INDIA use gurmar to treat asthma, snake and scorpion bites, blisters, boils, breathing trouble, constipation, diabetes, fever, gas, irregular periods, jaundice, joint pains, poison bites, and skin diseases. The herb was also used as an antiseptic, and galactagogue [2].

SOUTHERN INDIA

Speaking specifically to SOUTHERN INDIA, a query of IRULAR PEOPLE— a Dravidian ethnic group located in southern India— confirmed the use of G. sylvestre (called, Sirukurinjan, in the Irula language) for diabetes. The afflicted individual is to consume 2-3 young/ fresh leaves with a glass of water before meals for an approximate year. Another tribe of SOUTHERN INDIA whom reside at relatively higher altitudes, the MALASARS, use G. sylvestre for the treatment of snake bites, and rat bites [17]. The PALIYAN TRIBE use the powdered root in a mixture of boiled rice, and cow’s milk left to steep overnight as a treatment for diabetes.

One example of a traditional folk prescription for gurmar as a snake bite remedy (among 19th century Hindus of INDIA) was a topical application of the powdered root directly on the bite, or to take half a teacup of the root decoction twice a day [3].

NORTHERN INDIA

In Northern India, the roots and leaves of G. sylvestre (known by the Hindi name, gudmar) are used to treat eye and gastric disorders [18].

The Gymnema Taste Test

Now we shall take this “sugar destroying” effect for a spin!

Thank you for reading and supporting these endeavors. Proceeds derived from this website now go to Tewa Women international. Please visit patreon.com/pullupyourplants if you would personally like to make a difference.

For my beautiful wife and son, as always.

References are available in the comments. While you are there, I’d love to hear from you!