Pharmacologic and Medicinal Properties of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)

There is increasing interest in industry, academia and the health sciences in medicinal and aromatic plants. In passing from plant production to the eventual product used by the public, many sciences are involved. This series brings together information which is currently scattered through an ever increasing number of journals about the plant known as fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.). It is an annual forage legume known to have a number of important medicinal properties. Fenugreek is well known for its pungent aromatic, high nutritive and multi-therapeutical properties and serves culinary, medicinal and industrial purposes. The pharmacologic and medicinal actions of fenugreek are attributed to the variety of its constituents including steroids (diosgenin), alkaloids (trigonelline), flavonoids (luteolin), coumarins, aminoacids (hydroxyisoleucine), mucilage (galactomannan), volatile constituents, fixed oils and other substances. The therapeutic efficacy of fenugreek extracts in providing sedation has been proved by many pharmacological and clinical experiments. So, many of its actions as remedy have been confirmed and the mechanisms of their activity are being studied. Also, some other properties of fenugreek which have been reported but received less attention include anti-cancer