GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE
Gymnemic Acid 25% and 75%
Family: Asclepediaceae
Parts Used: Leaves
Gymnema sylvestre is an herb native to the tropical forests of southern and central India. Chewing the leaves suppresses the sensation of sweet. This effect is attributed to the presence of the eponymously named gymnemic acids. The plant is stomachic, stimulant, laxative, diuretic and useful in cough. The leaves of the plant, when chewed possess the remarkable property of paralysing the sense of taste for sweet and bitter substance for some time. The leaves are used as a remedy for diabetes.
Chemical Composition
The major bioactive constituents of Gymnema sylvestris 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 the 3-O-glucuronide of gymnemagenin (3,16,21,22,23,28-hexahydroxy-olean-12-ene).
G. sylvestre 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, hentriacontane, pentatriacontane, α and β-chlorophylls, phytin, resins, d-quercitol, tartaric acid, formic acid, butyric acid, lupeol, β-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.
Therapeutic Applications
Specifications:
Description
Greenish brown powder with bitter taste, hygroscopic
Identification
Aqueous soln on addation of dilute H2SO4 gives ppt
Loss on drying
NMT 6 %w/w
Solublity:
Water soluble
Alcohol soluble
NLT 90.0% w/w
NLT 50.05w/w
Ash content
NMT 10.0%w/w
Loose bulk density
Tapped bulk denisty
0.20-0.50g/ml
0.30-0.70g/ml
Sieve test :
20.0mesh
40.0mesh
80.0mesh
NLT 100.0%w/w
NLT 90.0%w/w
NLT 85.0%W/W
Assay
-Content of gymenic acid by gravimetric method
NLT 25.0% & NMT 30.0%
Heavy Metals
Lead
NMT 3.0 PPM
Cadmium
NMT 1.0 PPM
Arsenic
Microbiological Analysis
Total viable count
NMT 6000 cfu/g
Total fungal count
NMT 100 cfu/g
Enterobacteriaceae
E. coli
Absent
Salmonella sp
Staph. Aureus
Pseudomonas sp
Residual Solvents (Methanol)
As per USP method
Method of Analysis
Gravimetric method