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Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum, literally Greek hay). An annual legume indigenous to  

Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum, literally Greek hay). An annual legume indigenous to western Asia, cultivated for human food, forage, and for medicinal qualities; widely naturalized in Mediterranean countries; little grown in America.

western Asia, cultivated for human food, forage, and for medicinal qualities; widely  

naturalized in Mediterranean countries; little grown in America.

Fenugreek is an erect little-branched plant with 3- foliolate leaves. The seeds are 1 or 2  

Fenugreek is an erect little-branched plant with 3- foliolate leaves. The seeds are 1 or 2 lines long, brownish yellow and marked with an oblique furrow half their length. They emit a peculiar odor, and contain starch, mucilage, a bitter extractive, a yellow coloring matter, and 6 per cent of fixed and volatile oils. As human food they are used in Egypt, mixed with wheat flour, to make bread; in India, with other condiments, to make curry powder; in Greece, either boiled or raw, as an addition to honey; in many oriental countries, to give plumpness to the female human form. The plant is used as an esculent in Hindustan; as an early fodder in Egypt, Algiers, France, and other countries bordering the Mediterranean. Formerly the seed was valued in medicine; now it is employed only in the preparation of emollient cataplasms, enemata, ointments and plasters, never internally. In veterinary practice it is still esteemed for poultices, condition powders, as a vehicle for drugs, and to diminish the nauseating and griping effects of purgatives. It is commonly used by hostlers to produce glossy coats upon their horses and to give a temporary fire and vigor; by stockmen to excite thirst and digestion in fattening animals; by manufacturers of patent stock foods as a flavoring ingredient.

lines long, brownish yellow and marked with an oblique furrow half their length. They emit a  

peculiar odor, and contain starch, mucilage, a bitter extractive, a yellow coloring matter,  

and 6 per cent of fixed and volatile oils. As human food they are used in Egypt, mixed with  

wheat flour, to make bread; in India, with other condiments, to make curry powder; in  

Greece, either boiled or raw, as an addition to honey; in many oriental countries, to give  

plumpness to the female human form. The plant is used as an esculent in Hindostan; as an  

early fodder in Egypt, Algiers, France, and other countries bordering the Mediterranean.  

Formerly the seed was valued in medicine; now it is employed only in the preparation of  

emollient cataplasms, enemata, ointments and plasters, never internally. In veterinary  

practice it is still esteemed for poultices, condition powders, as a vehicle for drugs, and  

to diminish the nauseating and griping effects of purgatives. It is commonly used by  

hostlers to produce glossy coats upon their horses and to give a temporary fire and vigor;  

by stockmen to excite thirst and digestion in fattening animals; by manufacturers of patent  

stock foods as a flavoring ingredient.

Fenugreek does not succeed on clays, sands, wet or sour soils. It yields most seed upon  

Fenugreek does not succeed on clays, sands, wet or sour soils. It yields most seed upon well-drained loams of medium texture and of moderate fertility; most fodder upon rich lands. For seed-production, potash and phosphoric acid should be applied; for forage, nitrogenous manures. Deep plowing and thorough harrowing are essential. Ten to twenty pounds of seed should be used broadcast, or seven to ten pounds in drills 18 inches apart. Thinning when the plants are 2 or 3 inches tall, and clean culture throughout theseason until blossoming time, are necessary for a seed crop. The crop may be mown, dried andthreshed four or five months after seeding. An average yield should be about 950 pounds an acre. As a green manure, fenugreek is inferior to the clovers, vetches and other popular green manures of this country. It possesses the power of obtaining nitrogen from the air by means of root-tubercles. For description of the plant, see [[Trigonella]].  

well-drained loams of medium texture and of moderate fertility; most fodder upon rich lands.  

For seed-production, potash and phosphoric acid should be applied; for forage, nitrogenous  

manures. Deep plowing and thorough harrowing are essential. Ten to twenty pounds of seed  

should be used broadcast, or seven to ten pounds in drills 18 inches apart. Thinning when  

the plants are 2 or 3 inches tall, and clean culture throughout theseason until blossoming  

time, are necessary for a seed crop. The crop may be mown, dried andthreshed four or five  

months after seeding. An average yield should be about 950 pounds an acre. As a green  

manure, fenugreek is inferior to the clovers, vetches and other popular green manures of  

this country. It possesses the power of obtaining nitrogen from the air by means of  

root-tubercles.For description of the plant, see Trigonella. M. G. Kains.

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The rhombic yellow to amber colored fenugreek seed, commonly called ''Methi'', is frequently used in the preparation of pickles, curry powders and pastes, and is often encountered in the [[cuisine]] of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. The young [[leaf|leaves]] and [[sprouting|sprouts]] of fenugreek are eaten as [[greens (vegetable)|greens]], and the fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves (called ''kasuri methi'') have a bitter taste and a strong characteristic smell.

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In [[India]], fenugreek seeds are mixed with [[yogurt]] and used as a conditioner for hair. It is also one of the ingredients in the making of ''[[khakhra]]'', a type of bread. It is used in [[injera]]/taita, a type of bread unique to [[Cuisine of Ethiopia|Ethiopian]] and [[Cuisine of Eritrea|Eritrean cuisine]]. The word for fenugreek in [[Amharic language|Amharic]] is ''abesh'', and the seed is reportedly also often used in [[Ethiopia]] as a natural herbal medicine in the treatment of [[diabetes]]. It is also sometimes used as an ingredient in the production of clarified butter (Amharic: ''qibé'', Ethiopian and Eritrean [[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]]: ''tesme''), which is similar to Indian ''[[ghee]]''.  In Turkey, fenugreek gives its name, ''çemen'', to a hot paste used in ''[[pastirma]]''. In [[Yemen]] it is the main condiment and an ingredient added to the national dish called ''[[saltah]]''. The [[Arabic language|Arabic]] word ''hulba'' for the seed resembles its [[Mandarin Chinese]] counterpart ''hu lu ba''. Fenugreek, or ''Şambélilé'' in [[Persian language|Persian]],  is also one of four herbs used for the [[Iran]]ian [[recipe]] ''[[Ghormeh Sabzi]]''.

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In [[Egypt]], fenugreek seeds are prepared as tea.

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Fenugreek seeds are a rich source of the [[polysaccharide]] [[galactomannan]]. They are also a source of saponins such as diosgenin, yamogenin, gitogenin, tigogenin, and neotigogens. Other bioactive constituents of fenugreek include mucilage, volatile oils, and alkaloids  such as choline and trigonelline.

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A side effect of consuming even small amounts of fenugreek (even as just an infusion in water) is a [[maple syrup]] or [[curry]] [[Odor|smell]] in the eater's [[sweating|sweat]] and [[urine]], which is caused by the potent [[aroma compound]] [[sotolone]]. Fenugreek is frequently used in the production of [[flavoring]] for artificial syrups. The taste of toasted fenugreek is additionally based on [[Substitution (chemistry)|substituted]] [[pyrazine]]s, as is [[cumin]]. By itself, it has a somewhat [[Bitter (taste)|bitter]] taste.

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[[Image:Fenugreek-methi-seeds.jpg|left|thumb|Dried fenugreek seed]]

[[Image:Fenugreek-methi-seeds.jpg|left|thumb|Dried fenugreek seed]]

[[Image:Fenugreek_seeds.jpg|right|thumb|Fenugreek seeds close-up]]

Fenugreek seed is widely used as a [[galactagogue]] (milk producing agent) by nursing mothers to increase inadequate [[breast milk]] supply. It can be found in capsule form in many health food stores.<ref>[http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_fenugreek.html http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_fenugreek.html]</ref>

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Supplements of fenugreek seeds were shown to lower [[serum cholesterol]], [[triglyceride]], and low-density [[lipoprotein]] in human patients and experimental models of [[hypercholesterolemia]] and [[hypertriglyceridemia]] (Basch et al., 2003). Several human intervention trials demonstrated that the antidiabetic effects of fenugreek seeds ameliorate most metabolic symptoms associated with [[Type 1 diabetes|type-1]] and [[Type 2 diabetes|type-2]] diabetes in both humans and relevant animal models (Basch et al., 2003; Srinivas, 2005). Fenugreek is currently available commercially in encapsulated forms and is being prescribed as dietary supplements for the control of hypercholesterolemia and diabetes by practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine.  

*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

==External links==

 

*{{wplink}}

 

== External links ==

 

==References==

* {{cite journal | author=A. Amin ''et al.'' | title=Chemopreventive activities of Trigonella foenum graecum (Fenugreek) against breast cancer | journal=Cell Biol Int | year=2005 | volume=29 | issue=8 | pages= 687-94}}

* {{cite journal | author=V. Thirunavukkarasu ''et al.'' | title=Protective effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) seeds in experimental ethanol toxicity | journal=Phytother Res | year=2003 | volume=17 | issue=7 | pages= 737-743}}

[[Category:Faboideae]]

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[[Category: Medicinal plants]]