Gudmar, also called Gymnema Sylvestre, belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae. It is a herb widely distributed in Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Australia, Vietnam, Japan, the southwestern region of the People’s Republic of China, and tropical Africa. It has deep roots in history and is known as one of the essential herbs used in the Ayurveda system of medicines for managing conditions ranging from malaria, and diabetes, to snakebites. The term ‘Gymnema’ is derived from ‘Gurmar’, which is a Hindu term that means ‘destroyer of sugar’ and may be thought to neutralise the excess sugar present in the body.
The vernacular names of gudmar are Gurmar in Hindi; Periploca of the woods in English; Kalikardori, Kavali in Marathi; Madhunashini, Meshashringi in Sanskrit; Mardashingi, Dhuleti in Gujrati; Sannagerasehambu in Kannada; Cherukurinja, Adigam in Tamil; Podapatri in Telugu.
