Assessment of shelf-life of Gymnema sylvestre extract through WHO recommended stability study involving chromatographic and biological activity analyses

Abstract

Stability study on Gymnema sylvestre extract under WHO recommended accelerated and long-term conditions for 6 and 30 months, respectively was carried out by taking gymnemagenin as a marker and by evaluating antidiabetic activity through different models. Gymnemagenin was not detected in any stability sample indicating that gymnemic acids (GAs) remain stable in the extract under the test conditions. The extract and its GA rich fraction exhibited mild α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (18–27%) that remained same during the study. Neither hypoglycemic nor anti-hyperglycemic effect was induced by the extract in normal rats in oral glucose tolerance test. The extract and GA rich fraction showed significant antidiabetic activity in alloxan-induced diabetic rats that remained same in all stability samples. Based on these findings, a shelf-life of at least 30 months is suggested for G. sylvestre extract under long-term conditions, and gymnemagenin as a marker for shelf-life assessment of products derived from the plant.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Gymnema sylvestre
• antidiabetic
• stability
• gymnemic acid
• gymnemagenin
• glucosidase
• shelf life

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the DBT-Punjabi University Patiala Interdisciplinary Programme in Life Sciences for Advance Research and Education under Grant [number BT/PR4548/INF/22/146/2012].