Fenugreek (Methi)

 

General feature: Fenugreek (Methi, in Indian languages) is a pintsized plant (size, 20 – 30 cm long) belonging to the family of Fabacea (annual, herbaceous) having small oblong shaped leaves. It grows in semiarid regions, almost worldwide. In general, both seeds and greens are used for the cooking. The seeds are yellowish in color often grinded and added to the various dishes. The greens are usually chopped and cooked with other vegetables or frequently added to the dough along with other spices during making the Indian bread, Naan. As a vegetable, the greens normally offer slight bitter and tangy taste felt by some people but even, it is unconditionally popular all over the Indian subcontinent. The seeds are commonly used as a spice in various Indian cooking. Its cultivations are continued in many parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iran, Egypt, France, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil and few other South American nations. Among all of those, India stands being the highest user in the list. Especially, the north and north-western Indian states holds almost 90 % of the consumption using seeds as spice and fresh greens as vegetable.

History: The use of Fenugreek seeds as spice is known from the very early days of Greek civilization. Some even claims earlier than it, about 4000 BC, as evidences suggest, indicating the use in Mediterranean areas during or before the Mesopotamian civilization. Interestingly, the seeds are found inside the tomb of King Tutankhamen along with the other spices.  It was cultivated in Israel during 1^st century, named as tiltan which indicates why it was included into the Israeli Jewish food. Presumably, the use in India has been started during the Vedic period and its popularity has been spread since then which possibly is just not only for the culinary reasons but for several health purposes also, that are later identified with time. Methi, as it is called at present in India possesses many beneficial health effects due to several medicinal components bio-synthesized especially within the seeds.

Chemical components: The nutritional aspects of seeds and fresh leaves are very high. Leaves provide significant amount of minerals and vitamins. It is especially enriched with choline (~1.5 g / 100 g seed) which is an essential nutrient that reduces many health problems like lowering the risks of developing fatty liver or any neural tube defects etc. The digestibility of leaves is ~ 77 % and its biological value is ~ 85 %.

Except the choline content, the seeds are much enriched with other nutritional materials like proteins and dietary fibres eg, 100 g leaves – 4.5 g protein, 1.0 g fibres whereas 100 g seeds – 30 g protein, 50 g fibres. The seeds have more aromatic character than the fresh greens. It exhibits carminative, galactogogue and antibacterial properties and in addition, it is commonly used as spice. It has 50 % unavailable carbohydrates. Its slight bitter taste is due to the steroidal saponins, Diosgenin (2.0 g / 100 g seed) and alkaloid, Trigonelline (380 mg / 100 g seed). The fibres in seeds are both soluble (20 %) and insoluble (30 %) by nature.

The extracted oil level within seeds is 6 – 8 % which includes various fatty acids (palmitic ~ 9.6 %, stearic ~ 4.9 %, arachidic ~ 2 %, oleic ~ 35 %, linoleic ~ 34 %, α – linoleic ~ 14 %) and some Anethole, a sweet and flavoring agent with smell of roasted coffee.  But the tasty flavor of curry diffused by the addition of Methi seeds is due to (5S) – Sotolone (25 ppm), a lactone spreading smell of caramel. It is also present in the sweet wine like Sherry. The volatile oil content of seeds is very low, ~ 0.02 %. The nonsaponifiable parts of extracted materials possess lactation induced components. It is the reason why Methi seeds are often fed to the cattle during postpartum period for enhancing the milk production. It is equally applicable to the human female also. The extracted oil is often used in perfumery or cosmetics which has several insect repelling substances.

Minerals and vitamin content in fresh Fenugreek green and seeds

Vitamins & Minerals	Fresh leaves / 100 g	Seeds / 100g
Ca	395 mg	160 mg
Mg	67 mg	160 mg
P	51 mg	370 mg
Fe	16.5 mg	14 mg
Na	76 mg	19 mg
K	31 mg	530 mg
Cu	0.26 mg	33 mg
S	167 mg	16 mg
Cl	165 mg	165 mg
Mn	xx	1.5 g
Zn	xx	7.0 mg
Cr	xx	0.1 mg
Choline	1.35 g	50 mg
Vit – C	52 mg	43 mg
β – Carotene	2.3 mg	96 µg
Thiamine	40 µg	340 µg
Riboflavin	310 µg	290 µg
Nicotinic acid	800 µg	1.1 mg
Folic acid	xx	84 µg

 

Medicinal effects and Health benefits: In all Indian kitchen, Fenugreek / Methi is a common name. Its use in the lentil soup (dal) and bread (parotha) is very common among most of the Indians. The spice offers many health benefits regarding several of the commonly occurring diseases that are troubling people all over the world.

Hypocholesteremia and cardio-vascular diseases – It has been reported that the large presence of dietary fibres (50 g / 100 g seeds) enriched with galactomannan (fibrous polysaccharide made of mannose and galactose residues with a ratio of 1:1) in fenugreek seeds can efficiently lower the cholesterol level in liver and circulating plasma. In addition, it also lowers the rate of cholesterol synthesis inside liver. The hypocholesteremic effect induced by the fibers, particularly from seeds used in diet is due to the enhanced modification of cholesterol to bile acids along with the heightened catabolism of LDL through the Apo B and E receptor. The increment of seeds (50 %) in diet is noticed to influence the lowering (42 %) of cholesterol level that peaks at best of 60 % of the seed diet. Convincingly, both LDL – cholesterol and VLDL – cholesterol are markedly reduced but the fecal excretion of bile acid and several neutral sterols are considerably increased. On the other hand, the high potassium level (530 mg / 100 g seed) in fenugreek seeds when introduced in the diet also contributes to lower the heart rate and blood pressure by countering the effect of sodium in blood stream.

                                                                           Galactomannan

Antidiabetic effect: In general, the quantity of dietary fibre intake is inversely related to the incidences of cardiovascular diseases or diabetes. In that perspective, the Fenugreek / Methi seeds is counted to be an excellent source of dietary fibres which is routinely used in many daily Indian cooking.  It is noticed that the Yemenite Jews traditionally used Fenugreek seeds to manage the diabetes. The exact reason behind that practice is somewhat unknown. It is hypothesized that dietary fibres help delay the gastric emptying as well as curb the release of gastric inhibitory peptides including the insulinotropic hormones. Following that way, the post-prandial glucose peak becomes reduced by the supplementation of dietary fibers and the event lingers for a longer period of time. So the normal glucose level is put into effect over a long period without the extra demand of food. It is evidenced that treating with Fenugreek seed extract through diet for a while reduces the plasma glucose level improving the diabetes condition and also suppresses the glycosuria for mild and even severely affected patients. The alkaloid Trigonelline works to prevent the action of glycosuria (excretion of glucose through urine). The seeds have 51.7 % total fiber out of that 19.2 % is mucilaginous and 32.5 % is neutral by nature. Clinical trial by National Institute of Nutrition in India convincingly proved that Fenugreek / Methi seeds are truly beneficial to both type -1 and type -2 diabetes.

Effects on female health: The daily intake of Fenugreek seeds increases breast milk production in lactating females. The presence of Diosgenin is identified as being the leading cause behind the event. The compound has strong estrogenic character. Besides Diosgenin, the seeds also contain several other isoflavones having estrogen like property. Together they reduce the discomfort of menstrual cramp or hot flashes and mood swings in adult female. It is also noticed that taking seeds as dietary supplement or its extract can induce labor in pregnant female by inducing the contraction of uterus. So too much consumption may cause miscarriage or premature birth. Those estrogenous components also help enhance the female breast size.

Antioxidant effects: Consumption of Fenugreek seeds (2g / Kg of body weight) reduces the enhanced lipid peroxidation in liver, kidney and pancreas especially for the diabetic patients. Usually, depletion of antioxidants in those organs is observed during the diabetes which can be reverted back to normal level by treating with the Fenugreek seeds.

Effects on digestion:  Fenugreek seeds is effective in controlling acid reflux or heartburn. The mucilage coats the lining of stomach and intestine preventing them from any acid or damage by the toxins. The aqueous extract show significant cytoprotective actions due to the antisecretory effect and interaction with mucosal glycoprotein. The oral consumption (2 g / Kg body weight for about 2months) enhances the bile acid secretion ~ 80 % and 0.5 g / Kg increases up to 44 %. Pancreatic lipase and amylase activity goes up to ~ 44 % so is the chymotrypsin action (43 %) whereas the amylase and trypsin actions are significantly reduced. An appreciable increase in intestinal lipase action has been observed whereas severe decrease in alkaline and acid phosphatases are noticed. Interestingly, it also enhances the action of disaccharide digesting enzyme, lactase inside the intestine. The digestive action of seeds or its extracts is identified to be due to the stimulation of liver to synthesize and secrete more bile acids also simultaneously stimulating the pancreas to secrete more enzymes lipase, amylase and chymotrypsin.

Effective against colon cancer: The animal studies showed that inclusion of seeds (2 g / kg body weight) in diet for 30 weeks inhibits the incidence of colon carcinogenesis by modulating the activities of β – glucuronidase and mucinage inside the colon. This preventive role could also include the presence of other fibers, flavonoids and saponins. In experimental rats using 1, 2 dimethyl hydrazine (20 mg / Kg body weight for 15 wks) induced colon carcinogenesis, the supplementation of powdered seeds significantly lowered the level of β – glucuronidase and mucinage instead of soaring to higher values in order to hydrolyze the glucuronide – toxin conjugate freeing the carcinogen inside the lumen. Basing on more information, it is speculated that the soluble fibers in seeds bind the toxins preventing it to be absorbed through the intestine.

Multiple physiologic effects of Fenugreek / Methi