Title:Gymnema sylvestre for Diabetes: From Traditional Herb to Future’s Therapeutic
Volume: 23
Issue: 11
Author(s): Pragya Tiwari*, Khurshid Ahmad and Mohammad Hassan Baig*
Affiliation:
- Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Division, ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Canal Ring Road, P.O. Dilkusha, Lucknow- 226002, Uttar Pradesh,India
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 712-749,Korea
Keywords:
Computational biology, diabetes, drug-discovery, Gymnema sylvestre, herbal formulations, PPARγ, toxicity determination.
Abstract: Diabetes has increased at an unprecedented rate and is fast emerging as a global threat worldwide. The
focus on pharmacological studies pertaining to diabetes has seen a remarkable shift from conventional medicines
to therapeutics employing bioactive phytomolecules from natural sources. The prospective effectiveness of natural
products together with their low cost and minimal side effects has revolutionized the entire concept of drug
discovery and management programs. One such beneficial herb is Gymnema sylvestre, possessing remarkable
hypoglycemic properties and forms the platform of diabetes therapeutics in the traditional system of medication.
The present article discusses the significance of G. sylvestre in diabetes management, the herbal-formulations
from the herb together with its standardization and clinical trials on animal models, and why Peroxisome Proliferator
Activated Receptor gamma (PPARγ) may serve as a prospective molecular target for Gymnemic acid analogs.
Such studies would define the molecular basis of bioactive molecules which would aid in the development
of natural product based therapeutics in the treatment of diabetes.
