Fenugreek
Common Names:
fenugreek,fenugreek seed
Latin Name:
Trigonella foenum-graecum
Fenugreek belongs to the family of legumes. The yellow to amber coloured fenugreek seeds are extensively used in India for food and medicinal purposes.The first recorded use of fenugreek is described on an ancient Egyptian papyrus dated to 1500 B.C. Fenugreek seed is commonly used in cooking. Historically, fenugreek was used for a variety of health conditions, including menopausal symptoms and digestive problems. It was also used for inducing childbirth. Today, fenugreek is used as a folk or traditional remedy for diabetes and loss of appetite, and to stimulate milk production in breastfeeding women. It is also applied to the skin for inflammation.
The leaves of the plants are also used as spice. These seeds are mixed in various food preparations.
The dried seeds are ground and taken by mouth or used to form a paste that is applied to the skin.
What the Science Says:
- A few small studies have found that fenugreek may help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
- Fenugreek is used as a milk producing food for breastfeeding mothers and it increases the milk quantity.
- It reduces cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoproteins (LDL).
- It reduces the blood pressure.
- It also has the effect of reducing the sugar in diabetic persons.
- It may also prevent colon and breast cancer.
- Very often it is used as digestive aid.
- It is useful to treat sinus.
- It reduces inflammation and also fights against infection.
- It is served as a sweet tea in Egypt.
- From my personal experience I could say that it reduces also the body heat.
Chemical Composition:
Contains simple alkaloids consisting mainly of trigonelline (up to 0.13%), choline (0.05%), gentianine, and carpaine; much of the trigonelline is degraded during roasting to nicotinic acid and other pyridines and pyrroles, which probably account for much of the flavor of roasted fenugreek.
Other constituents include (1) saponins that yield on hydrolysis 0.6–1.7% steroid sapogenins consisting mainly of diosgenin and its isomer yamogenin usually in a 3:2 ratio, with tigogenin and neotigogenin also present; treatment of the seeds with enzymes before acid hydrolysis has increased the yield of diosgenin and yamogenin by 10–90%; yamogenin tetrosides B and C have been reported to be two of the glycosides (saponins) present. (2) Flavonoids, including vitexin, vitexin-7-glucoside, orientin arabinoside, homoorientin, saponaretin (isovitexin), vicenin-1, vicenin-2, quercetin, luteolin, and vitexin cinnamate. (3) Fixed oils (5–8%), which on extraction with fat solvents yield an extract with a strong odor; varying from fishy to nutty, depending on age of the extract. (4) Considerable amount of a mucilage, which appears to be mostly a galactomannan and is probably responsible for swelling of the seed in water. (5) Protein (23–25%), which is low in S-amino acids but high in lysine and tryptophan; it has been suggested as a supplement of cereal proteins. (6) Free amino acids, including (2S,3R,4R)-4-hydroxyisoleucine, histidine, lysine, and arginine, with the first one isolated at 0.09% yield as the major component. (7) Vitamins, especially A, B1, and C. (8) Minerals (especially calcium and iron). (9) Volatile components (more than 50), which include n-alkanes, sesquiterpenes, and oxygenated compounds (undecane to hexadecane, elemenes, muurolenes, γ-nonalactone, 5-methyl-δ-caprolactone, etc.); and others.
Other constituents include (1) saponins that yield on hydrolysis 0.6–1.7% steroid sapogenins consisting mainly of diosgenin and its isomer yamogenin usually in a 3:2 ratio, with tigogenin and neotigogenin also present; treatment of the seeds with enzymes before acid hydrolysis has increased the yield of diosgenin and yamogenin by 10–90%; yamogenin tetrosides B and C have been reported to be two of the glycosides (saponins) present. (2) Flavonoids, including vitexin, vitexin-7-glucoside, orientin arabinoside, homoorientin, saponaretin (isovitexin), vicenin-1, vicenin-2, quercetin, luteolin, and vitexin cinnamate. (3) Fixed oils (5–8%), which on extraction with fat solvents yield an extract with a strong odor; varying from fishy to nutty, depending on age of the extract. (4) Considerable amount of a mucilage, which appears to be mostly a galactomannan and is probably responsible for swelling of the seed in water. (5) Protein (23–25%), which is low in S-amino acids but high in lysine and tryptophan; it has been suggested as a supplement of cereal proteins. (6) Free amino acids, including (2S,3R,4R)-4-hydroxyisoleucine, histidine, lysine, and arginine, with the first one isolated at 0.09% yield as the major component. (7) Vitamins, especially A, B1, and C. (8) Minerals (especially calcium and iron). (9) Volatile components (more than 50), which include n-alkanes, sesquiterpenes, and oxygenated compounds (undecane to hexadecane, elemenes, muurolenes, γ-nonalactone, 5-methyl-δ-caprolactone, etc.); and others.
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