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Botanical name : Trigonella foenum-graecum L.
Family : Fabaceae
Common Name : Fenugreek
Part used : Seed
Fenusulin ® is 4-hydroxyisoleucine standardized extract of Fenugreek. It has a long history of medical uses in Ayurveda and Chinese Traditional Medicine. Most applicable part of Fenugreek is its seed.
T. foenum-graecum seed is good source of protein (20-30%), fat (6.53%) and crude fibre (6.28%).[1] It mainly contains 4-hydroxyisoleucine, trigonelline, galactomannan with flavonoids, carotenoids, coumarins, proteins, saponins, and lipids.
Fenugreek is commonly consumed as a condiment and used medicinally as a galactagogue by nursing mothers to increase inadequate breast milk supply.[3] Seed extract decreases of diabetes symptoms such as polydipsia, polyuria, urine sugar, renal hypertrophy and glomerular filtration rate. T. foenum-graecum seeds showed hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects in type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients.[2] 4-hydroxyisoleucine proved to have antidepressant-like effects.
Fenugreek spice, oleoresin, extract have been listed as GRAS (21 CFR part 182) by FDA. Fenugreek has been used for several centuries and no adverse side effects have been noted.
Atefeh Sheikhlar. 2013. Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (Fenugreek) as a medicinal herb in animals growth and health. Sci Int. 1(6): 194-198
Kulkarni et al. 2012. Antidiabetic activity of Trigonella Foenum-graecum L. seed extract (IND01) in neonatalstreptozotocin-induced (N-STZ) rats. Diabet Croatica 41(1): 29-40
Sreeja et al. 2010. In vitro estrogenic activities of fenugreek Trigonella foenum graecum seeds. Indian J Med Res 131: 814-819
Gaur et al. 2013. Antidepressant-like effect of 4-hydroxyisoleucine from Trigonella foenum graecum L. seeds in mice. Biomed and Aging Path. 2(3): 121-125
FDA. 1996. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/95s0316/rpt0006_01.pdf