Microbiologist Discovers Herbal

Medicine (Gymnema Slyvestre)

Treatment for Common Human

Fungus + Candida

A Kansas State University microbiologist has found a breakthrough herbal

medicine treatment for a common human fungal pathogen that lives in almost

80 percent of people.

Govindsamy Vediyappan, assistant professor of biology, noticed that diabetic

people in developing countries use a medicinal herb called Gymnema slyvestre

to help control sugar levels. He decided to study the microbiological use of

Gymnema slyvestre -- a tropical vine plant found in India, China and Australia --

to see if it could treat a common human fungal pathogen called Candida

albicans.

The investigation was successful on two levels: Vediyappan's research team

found the medicinal compound is both nontoxic and blocks the virulence

properties of the fungus so that it is more treatable. The results are important

for human health, biomedical applications and potential drug development.

"We have shown that this compound is safe to use because it doesn't hurt our

body cells, yet it blocks the virulence of this fungus under in vitro conditions,"

Vediyappan says. "Taking the medicine could potentially help patients control

the invasive growth of the fungus and also help bring their sugar levels down."

Candida albicans is one of the major fungal pathogens in humans because it

lives in oral and intestinal areas as a normal flora, Vediyappan said. But the

fungus can overgrow and can cause oral, intestinal and genital infections. The

fungus kills almost 30 percent of people who have it and it is a concern among

cancer patients -- especially patients with neck or oral cancer -- HIV patients,

organ transplant patients and other people with compromised immune

systems.

The fungus can grow in two forms: a treatable yeast and a difficult-to-treat

hyphal form. Once the fungus transforms from a yeast to a hyphal growth it

becomes difficult to treat because the hyphal growth has long filament-like

structures that can spread into various organs. Vediyappan's study aimed to

block the hyphal growth form.

"Once it gets into the tissue, it spreads like roots and is difficult to contain by

our immune system," Vediyappan says.

If the fungus remains in yeast form, it is easy to manage and does not invade

tissues. Vediyappan's research team purified gymnemic acid compounds that

prevented the transition stage from occurring and stopped the fungus spread.

The gymnemic acids come from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre, a traditional

medicinal plant.

The research appears in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE in an article titled

Gymnemic acids inhibit hyphal growth and virulence in Candida albicans."

Gymnema extract is commonly used to treat diabetes and other ailments

because it is a cost-effective treatment, Vediyappan said. Often, people drink

the extract to control their sugar levels or to lose weight.

Although Vediyappan's research team is not the first to discover gymnemic

acid compounds, the team is the first to discover that the compounds block

the fungal transition. The researchers found that the compounds work quickly,

too, which was an important characteristic. The treatable fungal yeast can

transition to a hyphal growth within 30 minutes of an infection. When the

hyphal transition has occurred, it will grow into branched filaments.

The gymnemic acid compounds are nontoxic, which is especially important for

cancer patients and other immunocompromised patients. The gymnemic acids

can stop the unwanted invasive infection while preserving important healthy

cells.

The Candida albicans fungus also makes a biofilm, which is a fungal cell

collection that can be difficult to treat. The researchers found that the

gymnemic acid compounds converted the biofilm back to treatable yeast cells.

"This compound prevents the biofilm formation because hyphae are the major

builders of biofilms and biofilms are resistant to antifungals," Vediyappan says.

"Yeast cells by themselves cannot make biofilms and are sensitive to antifungal

treatments."

Another interesting aspect: The gymnemic acid compounds also stopped the

growth of Aspergillus, another fungal pathogen that can affect heart transplant

patients and leukemia patients.

Vediyappan plans future studies to research mode of action, potential drug

development, diabetes applications and other ways to improve treatment for

Candida albicans and other fungal pathogens.

Funding for the research came from Kansas State University's Johnson Cancer

Research Center and K-INBRE at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Collaborating researchers include Vincent Dumontet and Franck Pelissier with

the Natural Product Chemistry Institute, part of the National Center for

Scientific Research, in Gif-sur-Yvette, France; and Christophe d'Enfert with the

Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit in the Department of Genomes and

Genetics at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France.

Gymnema sylvestre

Gymnema sylvestre

Gymnema sylvestre, at Eastern ghats, India.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Clade: Asterids

Order: Gentianales

Family: Apocynaceae

Genus: Gymnema

Species: G. sylvestre

Binomial name

Gymnema sylvestre

R. Br.

Gymnema sylvestre[1] is a perennial woody vine that grows in tropical areas of India, Africa, and Australia and has been used for medicinal purposes in Ayurvedic medicine. Common names include gymnema,[2] Australian cowplant, and Periploca of the woods, and the Hindi term gurmar which means "sugar destroyer".[3][4][5]

The leaves and extracts contain gymnemic acids, the major bioactive constituents that interact with taste receptors on the tongue to temporarily suppress the taste of sweetness.[6][7][8][9][10]

Description

The plant is a climber with leaves having soft hairs on the upper surface. The leaves are elongate oval shaped. It has small yellow umbelliferous inflorescence which is produced throughout the year.[11]

Properties

Gymnema sylvestre has a long history of use in herbal medicine and a broad range of therapeutic properties.[4][5][12]

Gymnema sylvestre leaves contain triterpenoid saponins,[13][14][15] flavonols,[16] and gurmarin.[5] The major biologically active plant molecules are gymnemic acids, a class of triterpenoid saponins, which have the effect of suppressing the taste of sweetness on the tongue from sucrose (sugar), stevia, xylitol, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.[17]

The sweet-blocking effect of Gymnema sylvestre lasts from 15 minutes[6] to 50 minutes[18] and may even persist for several hours.[19] There is no indication that gymnemic acids have long-term effects on taste and they do not influence bitter, salty, and sour taste perception.[7][20]

Uses

1. Reduction of sugar intake: Gymnema sylvestre extracts taken in the form of lozenges, mouthwash, or tea diminishes the consumption of sweet foods and overall caloric intake. Gymnema sylvestre extracts (formulated as a mint lozenge) reduced the desire for high-sugar foods and the pleasant taste of candy.[21] Research also suggests that Gymnema sylvestre extracts reduce cravings for sugar. In a double-blind study, participants who received a gymnemic acid lozenge declined candy (before tasting it) more often than the placebo group.[10][22][23][24]

2. Diabetes: Early research suggests when a specific gymnema extract (GS4) is taken orally along with insulin or diabetes medications, blood sugar reduction in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes is enhanced.[citation needed]

3. Weight loss: In Japan, 50 tons of Gymnema sylvestre leaves are consumed annually for the purpose of weight loss.[25][26] Early research suggests that taking a specific combination of Gymnema sylvestre extract, hydroxycitric acid, and niacin-bound chromium by mouth for 8 weeks might reduce body weight in people who are overweight or obese.[citation needed]

4. Traditional uses: In Eastern and Ayurvedic medicine, Gymnema sylvestre leaves and extracts have been used to treat eye diseases, allergies, constipation, cough, dental caries, obesity, stomach ailments, and viral infections. Gymnema sylvestre has also been used as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and aphrodisiac.[5][14][25]

Etymology

Gymnema sylvestre

Gymnema derives from the Greek words "gymnos" (γυμνὀς) and "nēma" (νῆμα) meaning "naked" and "thread" respectively; the species epitheton sylvestre means "of the forest" in Latin.[27]

The Hindi name Gurmar, Sanskrit Madhunashini, Urdu Gurmar, Malayalam Chakkarakolli and Telugu Podapatri, literally mean "sugar destroyer". (Sanskrit) Meshasringa translates as "ram's horn", a name given to the plant due to the shape of its fruits.

References

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3. ^ Quattrocchi U (1999-11-23). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. Taylor & Francis US. ISBN 9780849326769.

4. ^ Jump up to:a b Tiwari P, Mishra BN, Sangwan NS (2014). "Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Gymnema sylvestre: an important medicinal plant". BioMed Research International. 2014: 830285. doi:10.1155/2014/830285. PMC 3912882. PMID 24511547.

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11. ^ Drury H (1869). Hand-book of Indian Flora. Madras: Trabancore Sircar Press. p. 232. ISBN 978-1-143-66359-8.

12. ^ Yeh GY, Eisenberg DM, Kaptchuk TJ, Phillips RS (April 2003). "Systematic review of herbs and dietary supplements for glycemic control in diabetes". Diabetes Care. 26 (4): 1277–94. doi:10.2337/diacare.26.4.1277. PMID 12663610.

13. ^ Dateo GP, Long L (September 1973). "Gymnemic acid, the antisaccharine principle of Gymnema sylvestre. Studies on the isolation and heterogeneity of gymnemic acid A1". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 21 (5): 899–903. doi:10.1021/jf60189a030. PMID 4733385.

14. ^ Jump up to:a b Di Fabio G, Romanucci V, Di Marino C, Pisanti A, Zarrelli A (2015). "Gymnema sylvestre R. Br., an Indian medicinal herb: traditional uses, chemical composition, and biological activity". Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. 16 (6): 506–16. doi:10.2174/138920101606150407112903. PMID 25860062.

15. ^ Sinsheimer JE, McIlhenny HM (1967). "Constituents from Gymnema sylvestre leaves. II. Nitrogenous compounds". Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 56 (6): 732–6. doi:10.1002/jps.2600560615. PMID 6039815.

16. ^ Liu X, Ye W, Yu B, Zhao S, Wu H, Che C (March 2004). "Two new flavonol glycosides from Gymnema sylvestre and Euphorbia ebracteolata". Carbohydrate Research. 339(4): 891–5. doi:10.1016/j.carres.2003.12.017. PMID 14980834.

17. ^ Frank RA, Mize SJ, Kennedy LM, de los Santos HC, Green SJ (1992-10-01). "The effect of Gymnema sylvestre extracts on the sweetness of eight sweeteners". Chemical Senses. 17 (5): 461–479. doi:10.1093/chemse/17.5.461.

18. ^ Meiselman HL, Halperin BP (1970). "Human judgments of Gymnema sylvestre and sucrose mixtures". Physiology & Behavior. 5 (8): 945–8. doi:10.1016/0031-9384(70)90187-3. PMID 5522511.

19. ^ US application 2004071801, Edell D, Handel R, "Herbal formulation of Gymnema sylvestre as a dietary aid", published 15 April 2004

20. ^ Riskey DR, Desor JA, Vellucci D (1982-01-01). "Effects of gymnemic acid concentration and time since exposure on intensity of simple tastes: A test of the biphasic model for the action of gymnemic acid". Chemical Senses. 7 (2): 143–152. doi:10.1093/chemse/7.2.143. ISSN 0379-864X.

21. ^ Stice, Eric. "Two clinical studies confirm that Sweet Defeat reduces desire for sugar and sugar consumption".

22. ^ Clinical trial number NCT02744885 for "Crave Crush Behavioral Study" at ClinicalTrials.gov

23. ^ Stice E, Yokum S, Gau JM (2017). "Gymnemic acids lozenge reduces short-term consumption of high-sugar food: A placebo controlled experiment". Journal of Psychopharmacology. 31 (11): 1496–1502. doi:10.1177/0269881117728541. PMID 28944714.

24. ^ Nobel S, Baker C, Loullis C (November 2017). "Crave CrushTM lozenges containing gymnemic acids reduce consumption of high sugar foods". Advancement in Medicinal Plant Research. 5 (4).

25. ^ Jump up to:a b Ogawa Y, Sekita K, Umemura T, Saito M, Ono A, Kawasaki Y, Uchida O, Matsushima Y, Inoue T, Kanno J (February 2004). "[Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract: a 52-week dietary toxicity study in Wistar rats]". Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi. Journal of the Food Hygienic Society of Japan. 45 (1): 8–18. doi:10.3358/shokueishi.45.8. PMID 15168555.

26. ^ Ueno M (1993). "The bioactivity and use of the sugar absorption inhibitor "Gymnema sylvestre"". Technical Journal on Food Chemistry & Chemicals. 12: 21–26.

27. ^ Wikisource:The New International Encyclopædia/Gymnema