Anti-diabetic potential of ivy gourd ( Coccinia grandis , family: Cucurbitaceae) grown in Sri Lanka: A review

Abstract

Leaves of ivy gourd; Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt (Family: Cucurbitaceae) is one of the well-known leafy vegetables, which has been consumed by Sri Lankans for centuries. The therapeutic potential of ivy gourd against diabetes is brought mainly by its anti-hyperglycemic, I²-cell regenerative, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant properties. In addition, the optimum effective therapeutic dose of the aqueous C. grandis extract was found to be safe in terms of hepatotoxicity, renotoxicity, hematotoxicity in vivo. The scientific investigations confirmed the effectiveness of this leafy vegetable for the development of potential nutraceuticals against diabetes mellitus.