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State Medicinal Plants Board (SMPB) Kerala

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

  • Family: Apocynaceae
  • Vernacular names: Chakkarakolli, Madhunaasini, ചക്കരക്കൊല്ലി, മധുനാശിനി (Malayalam), Gymnema (English), Ajasringi (Sanskrit), Gudmar (Hindi), Passaam (Tamil)
  • Distribution: Indo-Malesia
  • Description: Twining subshrubs, branchlets fulvous-tomentose. Leaves elliptic to ovate or obovate, apex obtusely acute. Flowers yellow, umbellate cymes, many together. Follicle 7.5 x 0.8 cm, lanceolate, seeds 10 x 5 mm, much compressed.
  • Habit: Shrub
  • Habitat: Moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
  • Flowering & Fruiting: July-January

  • Parts used: Whole plant
  • Properties & Uses: Anti-diabetic, anti-pyretic, digestive, anti-inflammatory, expectorant. The root and leaves are used to treat headache, leprosy, poisoning, wounds and bronchial asthma. They are also used to treat cough and fever. The leaf powder stimulates the heart and circulatory system and increases urine production.
  • Systems of Medicines: Ayurveda, Folk, Unani, Homeo,
  • Traditional Uses:Leaves are dried in sunlight and make into powdered form. This powder is mixed with water and taken internally at early morning in empty stomach to cure diabetes.
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