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Medicinal Plant details |
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Information |
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| Sanskrit Name |
Bahupatra, Methika (WOA, 1998). |
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| Common name in English |
Fenugreek, Methi, Greek hay, Foenugreek, Fenigreek, Sicklefruit, Classical fenugreek |
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| Botanical Name |
Trigonella foenum-graecum L. |
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| Historical Accounts |
A wide range of uses were found for fenugreek in ancient times. Medicinally it was used for the treatment of wounds, abscesses, arthritis, bronchitis, and digestive problems. Traditional Chinese herbalists used it for kidney problems and conditions affecting the male reproductive tract. Fenugreek was, and re-mains, a food and a spice commonly eaten in many parts of the world Site:http://www.holistic-online.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h56.htm. Fenugreek is a native of Eastern Europe and Ethiopia. Fenugreek has been used since ancient times both as a food and medicine by the people living on the shores of the Mediterranean and across Asia. The seeds were well known to the ancients, who used the herb as cattle fodder and employed the seeds medicinally. In India the young shoots of Trigonella foenum form a favorite vegetable Site: http://www.exoticnatural.com/trigonellafoenum.htm. Fenugreek has a long history as both a culinary and medicinal herb in the ancient world. It was one of the spices the Egyptians used for embalming, and the Greeks and Romans used it for cattle fodder (hence the Latin foenum graecum meaning Greek hay). It was grown extensively in the imperial gardens of Charlemagne Fenugreek or Trigonella Foenum. Graecum Papilionacea is one of the most ancient medicinal plants, used by Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. It is native of the plateau of Erithrea and Ethiopia, in Africa, and has been traditionally used since ancient times, and considered a sacred plant. It was cultivated in Egypt with the name Hilba, in Southern Yemen, India and China wiht the name Huluba. It is used as food and medicine, as a drink, to add flavor to butter, and in some regions it is used as a beauty cream together with other plants, and also to flavor tobacco or coffee extracts and vanilla. Fenugreek is a herb that has an ancient history. It was rarely used in Britain during the hay day of herbal medicine due to difficulties in obtaining the spice. Since becoming easily available it has often been overlooked because herbal tradition rarely mentioned it. For a comprehensive discussion of Fenugreek you must refer to an herbal or materia medica of Ayurvedic medicine. Its limited use in Britain demonstrates its value as a vulnerary, healing and reducing inflammation in conditions such as wounds, boils, sores, fistulas and tumors. It can be taken to help bronchitis and gargled to ease sore throats. Its bitterness explains its role in soothing disturbed digestion. It is a strong stimulator of milk production in mothers, for which it is perfectly safe, and has a reputation of stimulating development of the breasts Site: http://www.fenugreek.us/fenugreek-herb.htm. |
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| Parts Used |
Seeds |
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| Human Medicinal Usage |
As a medicinal plant, fenugreek has traditionally been considered a carminative, demulcent, expectorant, laxative and stomachic (Lindermann, 1964). The plant has also been employed against bronchitis, fevers, sore throats, wounds, swollen glands, skin irritations, diabetes, ulcers and in the treatment of cancer. It shows antibacterial activity also (Bhatti et al., 1996; Mundhada et al., 2002). Fenugreek has been used to promote lactation and as an aphrodisiac. Fenugreek seeds have been used as an oral insulin substitute and seed extracts have been reported to lower blood glucose levels in laboratory animals (Bhavsar et al., 1980; Sharma et al., 1990; Khosla et al., 1995a; Genet et al., 1999; Bano et al., 2000; Saxena et al., 2004).
The seeds and leaves are anticholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, carminative, demulcent, deobstruent, emollient, expectorant, febrifuge, galactogogue, hypoglycemic, laxative, parasiticide, restorative and uterine tonic. The seed yields a strong mucilage and is therefore useful in the treatment of inflammation and ulcers of the stomach and intestines (Taranalli & Kuppast, 1996). Taken internally, a decoction of the ground seeds serves to drain off the sweat ducts.
The seed is very nourishing and body-building and is one of the most efficacious tonics in cases of physical debility caused by anemia or by infectious diseases, especially where a nervous factor is involved. It is also used in the treatment of adult-onset diabetes, poor digestion (especially in convalescence), insufficient lactation, painful menstruation etc. The seeds freshen bad breath and restore a dulled sense of taste.
Externally, the seeds are powdered and used as a poultice for abcesses, boils, ulcers, burns or they can be used as a douche for excessive vaginal discharge (diet-and-health, 2004).
The leaves are harvested in the growing season and can be used fresh or dried. The seeds are harvested when fully ripe and dried for later use. Compounds extracted from the plant have shown cardiotonic, hypoglycemic, diuretic, antiphlogistic and hypotensive activity. One of its constituent alkaloids, called 'trigonelline', has shown potential for use in cancer therapy. The seed contains the saponin diosgenin, an important substance in the synthesis of oral contraceptives and sex hormones, whilst saponins in the plant have been extracted for use in various other pharmaceutical products.
An essential oil is obtained from the seed, which is used as a food flavoring and medicine. The dried plant has a strong aroma of hay.
The crushed seeds mixed with oil and massaged into the scalp. It is recommended for glossy hair. An infusion of the seed, used as a skin lotion, is said to be good for the complexion. |
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| Veterinary Medicinal Usage |
To FMD affected animals, it is recommended to feed one kg of Trigonella foenum-graecum leaves and three Musa sapientum fruits (Hamed, 1998, 2000). When animal catch cold, 'Punarnava' (Boerhaavia diffusa), 'ajwain' (Trachyspermum ammi) and 'methi' (Trigonella foenum-graecum) are taken in equal quantities and boiled in water and the filtrate is fed to the sick animal. During or before calving period, feed suva' (Anethum gravelolens) seeds, 'methi' (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds and 'kalijiri' to maintain appetite of the animals. This also helps in the prevention of weakness (Menon, 1992). To increase the blood supply, 5 kg 'methi' seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum), 1.5 kg 'kalijeeri' (Vernonia anthelmintica), 0.75 kg 'kalu', 1/2 kg turmeric, 0.25 kg 'hing' powder (Asafoetidia spp.), black salt 0.25 kg, 1.5 kg 'ajmo' seeds (Trachyspermum spp.), dry ginger powder 0.25 kg are mixed with jaggery in the ratio of 2:1. A ball is made out of the mixture and fed to the horse every morning (Chauhan & Pastakia, 1996).
Barley and methi seeds are sown along with lucerne to increase the palatibility of lucerne and also to increase the nutritive value of the fodder (Menon & Jayalaxmi, 1992). For easy expulsion of placenta after delivery, approximately two kg pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) grains, 100 g of 'methi' (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds, 50 g of 'asalio' (Lepidium sativum), 25 g of 'suva' (Anethum graveolens) and 500 g of jaggery are boiled in water for one hour and fed after cooling to cow or buffalo after delivery (Kumar, 2000-2001). The powdered mixture of 500 g roots of 'vacha', 500 g 'zhonkhra' (Artemira scopoliria), 200 g 'methi' (Trigonella foenum-graecum), 200 g 'ajwain', 100 g 'saunth' (dry ginger) and 100 g black salt is considered as antipyretic/analgesic effect in cattle. This mixture is administered 10 to 20 g twice a day as a nasal spray and topical massage (Kumar, 2000-2001).
Animal suffering from arthritis is fed with 250 g of boiled fenugreek twice a day for a week, this causes the locked muscles to be activated once again and the animal starts walking easily. In order to stop bleeding from wounds, a paste is made of fenugreek powder (Trigonella foenum-graecum) and juice of the leaves of a vegetable called 'guwar' (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) and applied to the wound. According to Vivekanandan (1998), Fifty grams of fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is soaked overnight and pounded with one coconut flower bunch (Thennampalai) and ten unripe coconut and fed to the cattle to cure diarrhoea. The similar remedy for diarrhoea is given by Bhupendra (2000), in which water soaked seeds are ground with coconut and fed to animal ones in a day. Menon & Jayalaxmi (1992) have searched out its use in increasing milk secretion. For this purpose, bottle gourd, fenugreek, coconut, blackgram and palmyra jaggery are pounded together and fed to animal for three days. A paste of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds, pounded into flour, and water is applied to the area of the fracture and bandaged (Gupta & Patel, 1992). The plant is successfully applied to cure foot and mouth disease in animals (Anonymous, 2000). |
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| Agriculture Usage |
Meena (2000) was searched out that sowing of one kg of seeds of fenugreek along with 10 kg of seeds of gram give encouraging results in terms of controlling the attack of termite. When okra plants are infected by heliothis the growth of the plant is affected and yield is reduced. To control it, one kg flour of 'methi' (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is mixed with two litre of water. Mixture is kept aside for 24 hours and diluted with 40 litre of water, then after the mixture is sprayed in one hectare of land (Vankar, 2000). |
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| Other Usage |
Uncooked fenugreek seeds have an unpleasant, bitter taste, so the seeds are usually roasted and ground before use to mellow the bitterness (Ehler, 2001). The seeds are very hard and difficult to grind, a mortal and pestle working best. Fenugreek is a favorite in Northern African and Middle Eastern dishes, and is one of the few spices that are usually used in powdered form even in Indian curries (Ehler, 2001). Seed extract is used in imitation vanilla, butterscotch and rum flavorings, and is the main flavoring in imitation maple syrup. Also used in breads in Egypt and Ethiopia. Ground seeds and/or leaves, can give a nice lift to some bland vegetarian dishes. It is also considered a good remedy in marinades. Fenugreek seeds are also used in candy, baked goods, ice cream, chewing gum and soft drinks. The seeds can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. Fenugreek seeds as well as plant as such are used for culinary purposes (Meena, 2003). |
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| Synonyms |
Buceras foenum-graecum (L.) All., Foenum-graecum officinale Moench, Foenum-graecum sativum Medik., Telis foenum graecum Kuntze, Trigonella jemenensis (Serp.) Sinsk. |
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| Family |
Fabaceae |
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| Description |
An erect, 2 to 3 ft. tall annual herb with slightly hairy or glabrous younger parts Leaves: pinnately 3-foliolate, light green; leaflets obovate or oblanceolate, minutely dentate, glabrescent Flowers: subsessile, terminal, solitary or in short condensed recames, white or creamy yellow Fruits: pods linear, subtorulose, straight or falcately recurved, with a long beak Seeds: small, 10 to 20 in each pod, flat, yellow-brown, glabrous, smooth, pungent, aromatic Fl. & Fr.: Throughout the year (WOA, 1998). |
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| Common Name in India |
Methi (Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi); Methulu (Telugu); Vendayam (Tamil); Uluva, Ventayam (Malayalam); Menthi (Kannad) (WOA, 1998). |
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| Common Name in Other Countries |
Almindelig bukkehorn, Bukkehorn, Classical Fenugreek, Fenugreek, Bockskornklee, Bockshornklee, Griechische, Heu, Bukkehornskløver, Kozieradka Kozieradka pospolita, Fenegriekalholva (Site:http://www.liberherbarum.com/pn0076.HTM). Fenugreek; fenugrec (France), fieno greco (Italy) alholva, feno-greco (Spain), helba (Arabic), methi (India, Pakistan) (Site:http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/DATA/Pf000412.HTM Halba (Malaysian). |
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| Habitat |
The species grow all around including field verges, uncultivated grounds, dry grasslands and hillsides. Fenugreek is irrigated as a winter season crop in India and the Mediterranean region as a rain fed crop (Kirtikar & Basu, 1995). In cooler areas it may be grown in summer. The seed crop requires warm dry weather for ripening and harvest. |
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| Rainfall |
It can resist low rainfall and grow in drought-like condition.
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| Soil (Physical/Chemical) |
It can survive on a wide range of well-drained soils (Suttie, 2004). |
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| Regional Distribution |
Grown well in all parts of India. . It is an indispensable ingredient in Indian curries and cultivated extensively in Kashmir, Punjab, Bombay and Madras Presidency (Nadkarni, 1976).
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| Global Distribution |
Although it is a native of southeastern Europe and western Asia, fenugreek grows today in many parts of the world, including India, northern Africa, and the United States (Pati, 2004). It is cultivated from Western Europe to China for the aromatic seeds, and is still grown for fodder in parts of Europe and northern Africa. The other parts of its occurrence are Europian countries like Austria, Belgium, Chile, Egypt S. France, Hungary; Iraq, Java, Malaya, Mediterranean, Spain, Sudan and Turkey. For more information refer to Dangi et al (2004). |
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| Harvest |
It is suggested to harvest the crop with cereal harvester (difficulties from flattening and grain drop). |
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| Chemical composition |
Saponin from stems yielded on hydrolysis a sapogenin, mp. 186 deg., while that from leaves gave diosgenin, tigogenin and gitogenin; tigogenin, neotigogenin, diosgenin, yamogenin and gitogenin isolated from seeds; 4-hydroxyisoleucine isolated from seeds; vitexin and isovitexin isolated from seeds; saponaretin, homoorientin, vitexin, vicenin-1 and vicenin-2 isolated from leaves; a new 3,26-bisglycoside - trigonelloside C - isolated; a new flavone - C- and neogitogenin obtained by hydrolysis of glycosides; detection of diosgenin by GLC; 7-acetoxy-4-methylcoumarin isolated; yamogenin tetrosides B and C isolated from seeds and characterised; saponin - graecunin A, graecunin B and graecunin C - isolated from leaves; graecunin B inentified as diosgenin glycoside having glucose, xylose and rhamnose in ratio of 4:1:2; graecunins H,I,J,K,L,M and N isoalted from seeds; these glycosides of diosgenin differ in sugar units attached; glucose and rhamnose present in graecunins H, I and J in ratio of 5:2, 6:3 respectively whereas graecunin K also contained glucose and rhamnose and graecunin N contained glucose, arabinose, xylose and rhamnose; fenugrin B from seeds , on hyrolysis yielded diosgenin, glucose, arabinose and rhamnose (Devasena & Menon, 2003; Mohammad et al. 2004; Raju et al. 2004). |
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REFERENCES |
| SR No. |
NAME |
ARTICLE TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PLACE OF PUBLICATION |
VOLUME/ISSUE |
YEAR |
PUBLISHER |
COMMENT |
| 1 |
WOA |
The Wealth of Asia |
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New Delhi |
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1998 |
National Institute of Science Communication, CSIR |
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