1. PREPARED BY
NAME- NABAJYOTI KALITA
ROLL NO- 01
M.PHARM 1ST SEMESTER
DEPT. OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
DIBRUGARH UNIVERSITY

2. Synonym- Fenugreek, Methi
Biological sources- consist of seeds and leaves of Trigonella
foenum-gracum
Family- Fabaceae

3. Geographical sources-
Major fenugreek producing countries
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Argentina, Egypt, France
In India it is cultivated at Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarkhand, Uttar
pradesh etc
Rajasthan accounts for 80% of India’s output

4. Chemical constituents
 Flavonoids
4-hydroxyisoleucine (unusual amino acid)
Diosgenin and Yamogenin (saponin)
Trigonelline (alkaloid)
Galactomannan(soluble fibre)

5. Extraction
Seeds or leaves of Fenugreek
Crushed and sieved through 40 mesh size
Coarse powder
100 gm of powdered seeds or leaves were taken
Extracted with ethanol using soxhelt aparataus for 24 hours
Extract is cooled and filtered
The filtrate was evaporated in vaccum
Residue

6. Isolation
HPLC Residues
Mobile phase Refluxed with 80% w/v ethyl acetate
Acetonitrile-water(75:25) Solvent is decanted
Trigonalline, Flavonoids Residue is dissolved in 90% methanol
Filtered
Coloumn choromatography Concentrated and precipitated in acetone
4-hydroxy-isoleucine saponin

7. 4-hydroxy isoleucine
It is a natural nonproteinogenic amino acid present in
T. foenum graecum seeds.
4-OH posses insulinotropic biological
activity(stimulates the production of insulin)

8. Mechanism of action
 It increases glucose induced release of insulin by direct
effect on pancreatic islets
 Insulin response strictly depend on the glucose
concentration and hence avoid undesirable side effects
such as hypoglycemia
 Increase of blood glucose level= increase in insulin
promoting response
 4-hydroxyisoleucine enriched fraction of fenugreek
extract is being used as antidiabetic agent as it is difficult
to isolate in pure form
 The product is sold under brand name Sugaheal

9. Trigonelline (alkaloid)
Trigonelline a methylbetanine derivative of nicotinic
acid
Molecular formula C7H7NO2

10. Mechanism of action
Trigonelline
Improved the insulin sigalling pathway in the muscle
Activating
IR-PH GLUT4
(insulin receptor pleckstrain homology) (insulin regulated glucose receptor)

11. Galactomannan
Structurally composed of a 1,4-β
-D-mannosyl backbone substitued
by a single galactose unit α linked
at the C-6 oxygen
Major polysaccharide with rigid hydrophilic backbone
(polymanose) and galactose unit
In fenugreek galactose : mannose ratio 1:1

12. Mechanism of action
Also exert hypoglycemic effect by increasing production
of GLP-1 stimulates insulin release, glucagon, delay
the gastric emptying
Decrease in α amylase and sucrose activity
GLP-1 act on G- proteins coupled receptor of their own
Activate adenyl cyclase in cAMP
Exocytosis of insulin