Botanical nameTrigonella foenum- graecum Linn
SynonymousGlycine labialia Linn
Common names
Bengali Methi
English Feugreek
Hindi Methi
Sanskrit Methika
Tamil Vendayam
Occurrence & Distribution
Fenugreek, which was first discovered by the Black Sea, is grown extensively each year in North Africa, India, and the United States.
Widely cultivated in many regions of India, but wild in Kahmir, Punjab, and the upper Gangetic plains.
Description
An upright, aromatic annual plant that is between 30 and 60 cm tall. It has pinnate, three-foliate leaves with leaflets that are oblanceolate-oblong and obscurely dentate. It also has axillary flowers that are either one or two and white or yellow-white. The pods are beaked and turgid, and they are between 3 and 15 cm long. Its seeds are between 10 and 20 and are oblong with a deep groove across one corner and
January brings flowers, while March brings fruits.
Part usedIn August and September, ripe seeds are harvested, along with leaves.
The seeds are either ground and sold as powder or tablets after the pods are removed and made into a liquid extract or tincture.
Chemical constituents
Young seeds primarily consist of carbohydrates and sugar, while mature seeds, upon hydrolysis, yield amino acids and fatty acids. Carotene, vitamins, saponins, such as diosgenin, gitogenin, neogitogenin, homoorientin, saponaretin, neogigogenin, and tigogenin, vicenins 1 and 2, vitexin and isovitexin, yamogenin, and its isomers, as well
Therapeutic uses
Seeds-aphrodisiac, mucilaginous, demulcent, diuretic, tonic, carminative, emenagogue, astringent, emollient, and mucilaginous; useful for fatigue, weight loss, colic, flatulence, dysentery, diarrhea, anorexia, cough, dropsy, enlargement of the liver and spleen, rheumatism, lymphatism, rickets
Fenugreek’s saponin and fibre are known to lower blood lipids and cholesterol, and it also reduces resistance to insulin and lowers blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Leaves-External swellings and burns can be treated with calming and mild aperients.
HOMOEOPATHIC USES-
DIABETES-Controls diabetes and lowers blood and urine sugar levels while also controlling poluuria. Mother tincture made from the seeds is administered in doses of 10-15 drops three times daily.
CAUTION
The herb fenugreek is completely safe and non-toxic.
Children should not use it until they reach puberty because it contains steroid compounds.
No more than the recommended amount of the spice should be consumed by expectant or nursing women.
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