Horm Metab Res 2011; 43(13): 950-955
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1291345
Animals
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Fenugreek Improves Diet-induced Metabolic Disorders in Rats

E. Muraki
1   Department of Clinical Dietetics & Human Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, Saitama, Japan
,
H. Chiba
1   Department of Clinical Dietetics & Human Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, Saitama, Japan
,
N. Tsunoda
1   Department of Clinical Dietetics & Human Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, Saitama, Japan
,
K. Kasono
1   Department of Clinical Dietetics & Human Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, Saitama, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 25 July 2011

accepted 11 October 2011

Publication Date:
23 November 2011 (online)

Abstract

Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) has been described earlier and its use in ancient medicinal practice is well known. The hypoglycemic effects of fenugreek have been studied in many animal models and diabetic patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the preventive efficiency of dietary fenugreek on diet-induced metabolic diseases in rats. The diets used in this study were a standard diet, a high-fat high-sucrose (HFS) diet, and a HFS diet containing 0.5 g/kg b. w./day fenugreek based on the modified version of the AIN-93G purified diet, for 12 weeks, respectively. The rats fed the HFS diet containing fenugreek showed significantly lower fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR than the rats fed the HFS diet. Therefore, fenugreek improved insulin sensitivity in rats. The triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in the plasma were significantly lower in the fenugreek-administered group. Moreover, distinct reductions of triglyceride, total cholesterol, free fatty acid, and phospholipid levels in the liver were found in the rats fed the HFS diet containing fenugreek. These results suggest that fenugreek enhanced insulin sensitivity at least partly by improving lipid metabolism disorders in the plasma and the liver in the rats induced by the HFS diet.

 
  • References

  • 1 Srinivasan K. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum): A review of health beneficial physiological effects. Food Rev Int 2006; 22: 203-224
  • 2 Raju J, Gupta D, Rao AR, Yadava PK, Baquer NZ. Trigonellafoenum graecum (fenugreek) seed powder improves glucose homeostasis in alloxan diabetic rat tissues by reversing the altered glycolytic, gluconeogenic and lipogenic enzymes. Mol Cell Biochem 2001; 224: 45-51
  • 3 Mohamad S, Taha A, Bamezai RN, Basir SF, Baquer NZ. Lower doses of vanadate in combination with trigonella restore altered carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidant status in alloxan-diabetic rats. Clin Chim Acta 2004; 342: 105-114
  • 4 Gad MZ, El-Sawalhi MM, Ismail MF, El-Tanbouly ND. Biochemical study of the anti-diabetic action of the Egyptian plants Fenugreek and Balanites. Mol Cell Biochem 2006; 281: 173-183
  • 5 Uemura T, Hirai S, Mizoguchi N, Goto T, Lee JY, Taketani K, Nakano Y, Shono J, Hoshino S, Tsuge N, Narukami T, Takahashi N, Kawada T. Diosgenin present in fenugreek improves glucose metabolism by promoting adipocyte differentiation and inhibiting inflammation in adipose tissues. Mol Nutr Food Res 2010; 54: 1596-1608
  • 6 Broca C, Gross R, Petit P, Sauvaire Y, Manteghetti M, Tournier M, Masiello P, Gomis R, Ribes G. 4-Hydroxyisoleucine: experimental evidence of its insulinotropic and antidiabetic properties. Am J Physiol 1999; 277: E617-E623
  • 7 Jette L, Harvey L, Eugeni K, Levens N. 4-Hydroxyisoleucine: a plant-derived treatment for metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Investig Drugs 2009; 10: 353-358
  • 8 Srichamroen A, Thomson AB, Field CJ, Basu TK. In vitro intestinal glucose uptake is inhibited by galactomannan from Canadian fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum graecum L) in genetically lean and obese rats. Nutr Res 2009; 29: 49-54
  • 9 Srichamroen A, Field CJ, Thomson AB, Basu TK. The modifying effects of galactomannan from Canadian-grown fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) on the glycemic and lipidemic status in rats. J Clin Biochem Nutr 2008; 43: 167-174
  • 10 Sreeja S, Anju VS, Sreeja S. In vitro estrogenic activities of fenugreek Trigonella foenum graecum seeds. Indian J Med Res 2010; 131: 814-819
  • 11 Sebastian KS, Thampan RV. Differential effects of soybean and fenugreek extracts on the growth of MCF-7 cells. Chem Biol Interact 2007; 170: 135-143
  • 12 Reeves PG, Nielsen FH, Fahey Jr GC. AIN-93 purified diets for laboratory rodents: final report of the American Institute of Nutrition ad hoc writing committee on the reformulation of the AIN-76A rodent diet. J Nutr 1993; 123: 1939-1951
  • 13 Bligh EG, Dyer WJ. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Physiol 1959; 37: 911-917
  • 14 Folch J, Lees M, Sloane Stanley GH. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. J Biol Chem 1957; 226: 497-509
  • 15 Ramadan G, El-Beih NM, Abd El-Kareem HF. Anti-metabolic syndrome and immunostimulant activities of Egyptian fenugreek seeds in diabetic/obese and immunosuppressive rat models. Br J Nutr 2010; 23: 1-10
  • 16 Reddy RR, Srinivasan K. Effect of dietary fenugreek seeds on biliary proteins which influence nucleation of cholesterol crystals in bile. Steroids 2011; 76: 455-463
  • 17 Scott A, Higdon K, Benghuzzi H, Tucci M, Cason Z, England B, Tsao A, Hughes J. TCPL drug delivery system: the effects of synthetic DHEA and diosgenin using an ovariectomized rat model. Biomed Sci Instrum 2000; 36: 171-176
  • 18 Miyata M, Watase H, Hori W, Shimada M, Nagata K, Gonzalez FJ, Yamazoe Y. Role for enhanced faecal excretion of bile acid in hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase-mediated protection against lithocholic acid-induced liver toxicity. Xenobiotica 2006; 36: 631-644
  • 19 Hannan JM, Rokeya B, Faruque O, Nahar N, Mosihuzzaman M, Azad Khan AK, Ali L. Effect of soluble dietary fiber fraction of Trigonella foenum graecum on glycemic, insulinemic, lipidemic and platelet aggregation status of Type 2 diabetic model rats. J Ethnopharmacol 2003; 88: 73-77
  • 20 Evans AJ, Hood RL, Oakenfull DG, Sidhu GS. Relationship between structure and function of dietary fiber: a comparative study of the effects of three galactomannans on cholesterol metabolism in the rat. Br J Nutr 1992; 68: 217-229
  • 21 Boban PT, Nambisan B, Sudhakaran PR. Hypolipidaemic effect of chemically different mucilages in rats: a comparative study. Br J Nutr 2006; 96: 1021-1029
  • 22 Shen H, He L, Price RL, Fernandez ML. Dietary soluble fiber lowers plasma LDL cholesterol concentrations by altering lipoprotein metabolism in female guinea pigs. J Nutr 1998; 128: 1434-1441
  • 23 Narender T, Puri A, Shweta Khaliq T, Saxena R, Bhatia G, Chandra R. 4-Hydroxyisoleucine an unusual amino acid as antidyslipidemic and antihyperglycemic agent. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2006; 16: 293-196
  • 24 Mohammad S, Taha A, Akhtar K, Bamezai RN, Baquer NZ. In vivo effect of Trigonella foenum graecum on the expression of pyruvate kinase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and distribution of glucose transporter (GLUT4) in alloxan-diabetic rats. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2006; 84: 647-654
  • 25 Vats V, Yadav SP, Grover JK. Effect of T. foenumgraecum on glycogen content of tissues and the key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism. J Ethnopharmacol 2003; 85: 237-242
  • 26 Ruby BC, Gaskill SE, Slivka D, Harger SG. The addition of fenugreek extract (Trigonella foenum-graecum) to glucose feeding increases muscle glycogen resynthesis after exercise. Amino Acids 2005; 28: 71-76
  • 27 Hirai S, Uemura T, Mizoguchi N, Lee JY, Taketani K, Nakano Y, Hoshino S, Tsuge N, Narukami T, Yu R, Takahashi N, Kawada T. Diosgenin attenuates inflammatory changes in the interaction between adipocytes and macrophages. Mol Nutr Food Res 2010; 54: 797-804