Botanical Name - Trigonella foenum-graecum

Category - Spices/Medicinal

Form - Dry

Part Used - Seeds

General Information - Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) belongs to the family fabaceae. Fenugreek is used both as a herb (the leaves) and as a spice
(the seed). It is cultivated world wide as semi-arid crop. In Sudan the seeds have many uses especially in folk medicine. Whole seeds are swallowed as antiacid and against dysentery and stomach disturbances. Also a special porridage (madidat-hilba) is made from wheat flour to which whole or ground fenugreek seeds are added for fattening women. It is also used by lactating women in a form of thin porridge. Seeds of fenugreek spice have medicinal properties such as hypocholesterolemic, lactation aid, antibacterial, gastric stimulant, for anorexia, antidiabetic agent, galactogogue, hepatoprotective effect and anticancer.

Phytochemicals - Fenugreek contains a number of chemical constituents including steroidal sapogenins. Diosgenin component has been found in the oily embryo of fenugreek. There are two furastanol glycosides, F-ring opened precursors of diosgenin that have been reported in fenugreek also as hederagin glycosides. Alkaloids such as trigocoumarin, nicotinic acid, trimethyl coumarin and trigonelline are present in stem.