Fenugreek a multipurpose crop: Potentialities and improvements

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Abstract

Fenugreek is one of the oldest medicinal plants with exceptional medicinal and nutritional profile. Fenugreek seeds contain a substantial amount of fiber, phospholipids, glycolipids, oleic acid, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, choline, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, nicotinic acid, niacin, and many other functional elements. It may grow well under diverse and a wide range of conditions; it is moderately tolerant to drought and salinity, and can even be grown on marginal lands in profitable way. Owing to these characteristics and heavy metal remediation potential, fenugreek may well fit several cropping systems. In addition to its medicinal uses, it may serve as an excellent off-season fodder and animal food supplement. However, efforts should be initiated to develop strategies for improving its biomass production; genetic diversity among different accessions may be mapped, breeding and crop improvement programs may be initiated to improve the biomass and nutritional and functional elements. This review highlights the morphology, adaptability, nutritional constituents and associated functionality and medicinal significance of fenugreek; its ethno-historical uses, pharmacological assumptions have also been discussed. Researchable areas are also indicated to improve its production and adaptability.

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Identification of volatile components in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and thyme leaves (Thymus vulgaris L.) and their antioxidant properties

Seung-Joo LEE, Katumi Umano, Takayuki Shibamoto … (2005)

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Immunomodulatory effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum L.) extract in mice.

Iqbal Sayeed, S. Pandey, S Raisuddin … (2003)

Immunomodulatory activity of aqueous extract of Trigonella foenum graecum L., a widely used medicinal and dietary herb, was evaluated in male Swiss albino mice. Mice were treated with three doses of extract (50, 100 and 250 mg/kg body weight per os) for 10 days. Body weight, relative organ weight, cellularity of lymphoid organs, delayed type of hypersensitivity (DTH) response, plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay, haemagglutination titre (HT), quantitative haemolysis of SRBC (QHS) assay, phagocytosis, and lymphoproliferation were studied in various groups of animals. At doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg, a significant increase (p < 0.05) in relative organ weight of thymus was observed but there was no effect on kidney and spleen weights. Liver weight also increased significantly at doses of 100 and 250 mg/kg. However, no elevation in the levels of liver function test (LFT) enzymes was observed. As regards lymphoid organ cellularity, spleen recorded no significant increase at any dose, whereas cellularities of thymus and bone marrow were significantly increased. T. foenum graecum extract elicited a significant (p < 0.001) increase in the DTH response at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg, but the change at higher dose of 250 mg/kg was not statistically significant. Humoral immunity as measured by PFC showed an elevated response at a dose of 100 mg/kg, but at 50 and 250 mg/kg, no significant effect was observed. In the HT test, plant extract also showed modulatory effect at all the doses. Plant extract elicited a significant increase in phagocytic index and phagocytic capacity of macrophages. Stimulatory response of plant extract was also observed in lymphoproliferation assay but the response was weak. Overall, T. foenum graecum showed a stimulatory effect on immune functions in mice. As it is used for a variety of medicinal purposes, its immunostimulatory effect, as reported in this study, strengthens the rationale of its use in several Ayurvedic and Unani drugs. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

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Diosgenin, a steroid saponin of Trigonella foenum graecum (Fenugreek), inhibits azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci formation in F344 rats and induces apoptosis in HT-29 human colon cancer cells.

Jayadev Raju, Mala V. Rao, Jagan Patlolla … (2004)

Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek) is traditionally used to treat disorders such as diabetes, high cholesterol, wounds, inflammation, and gastrointestinal ailments. Recent studies suggest that fenugreek and its active constituents may possess anticarcinogenic potential. We evaluated the preventive efficacy of dietary fenugreek seed and its major steroidal saponin constituent, diosgenin, on azoxymethane-induced rat colon carcinogenesis during initiation and promotion stages. Preneoplastic colonic lesions or aberrant crypt foci (ACF) were chosen as end points. In addition, we assessed the mechanism of tumor growth inhibition of diosgenin in HT-29 human colon cancer cells. To evaluate the effect of the test agent during the initiation and postinitiation stages, 7-week-old male F344 rats were fed experimental diets containing 0% or 1% fenugreek seed powder (FSP) or 0.05% or 0.1% diosgenin for 1 week and were injected with azoxymethane (15 mg/kg body weight). Effects during the promotional stage were studied by feeding 1% FSP or 0.1% diosgenin 4 weeks after the azoxymethane injections. Rats were sacrificed 8 weeks after azoxymethane injection, and their colons were evaluated for ACF. We found that, by comparison with control, continuous feeding of 1% FSP and 0.05% and 0.1% diosgenin suppressed total colonic ACF up to 32%, 24%, and 42%, respectively (P < or = 0.001 to 0.0001). Dietary FSP at 1% and diosgenin at 0.1% fed only during the promotional stage also inhibited total ACF up to 33% (P < or = 0.001) and 39% (P < or = 0.0001), respectively. Importantly, continuous feeding of 1% FSP or 0.05% or 0.1% diosgenin reduced the number of multicrypt foci by 38%, 20%, and 36% by comparison with the control assay (P < or = 0.001). In addition, 1% FSP or 0.1% diosgenin fed during the promotional stage caused a significant reduction (P < or = 0.001) of multicrypt foci compared with control. Dietary diosgenin at 0.1% and 0.05% inhibited total colonic ACF and multicrypt foci formation in a dose-dependent manner. Results from the in vitro experiments indicated that diosgenin inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in the HT-29 human colon cancer cell line in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, diosgenin induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells at least in part by inhibition of bcl-2 and by induction of caspase-3 protein expression. On the basis of these findings, the fenugreek constituent diosgenin seems to have potential as a novel colon cancer preventive agent.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Awais Ahmad

Salem S. Alghamdi

Kaiser Mahmood

Muhammad Afzal

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Saudi J Biol Sci

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Saudi J Biol Sci

Title: Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences

Publisher: Elsevier

ISSN (Print): 1319-562X

ISSN (Electronic): 2213-7106

Publication date PMC-release: 14 September 2015

Publication date (Print): March 2016

Publication date (Electronic): 14 September 2015

Volume: 23

Issue: 2

Pages: 300-310

Affiliations

[a ]Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

[b ]Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Author notes

[* ]Corresponding author at: KSU Scientific Journals Unit, King Saud University, P.O. Box 340090, Riyadh 11333, Saudi Arabia. Tel.: +966 11 4696166 (O), +966 11 4674059 (Lab); fax: +966 11 4678467.KSU Scientific Journals UnitKing Saud UniversityP.O. Box 340090Riyadh11333Saudi Arabia salem@ 123456ksu.edu.sa

[1]

Crop Physiology Group, Department of Crop Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

[2]

Cereal Chemistry Lab, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

[3]

Legume Research Lab, Department of Crop Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

Article

Publisher ID: S1319-562X(15)00210-7

DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.09.015

PMC ID: 4894452

PubMed ID: 27307778

SO-VID: d85bab3b-1de6-437a-bb80-c543e9b59de3

License:

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

History

Date received : 16 March 2015

Date revision received : 17 August 2015

Date accepted : 9 September 2015

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Fenugreek a multipurpose crop: Potentialities and improvements

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Most cited references 79

Identification of volatile components in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and thyme leaves (Thymus vulgaris L.) and their antioxidant properties

Immunomodulatory effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum L.) extract in mice.

Diosgenin, a steroid saponin of Trigonella foenum graecum (Fenugreek), inhibits azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci formation in F344 rats and induces apoptosis in HT-29 human colon cancer cells.

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