11.1.3 Chemical Composition of Fenugreek Seed
Fenugreek seeds possess a variety of phytochemicals present therein including
alkaloids, polyphenols, saponins, carbohydrates, proteins, fibres, amino acids and
lipids, (El Nasri and El Tinay 2007; Kakani and Anwer 2012). Potassium and
manganese are known to be the major metals present in seeds of fenugreek (Kakani
and Anwer 2012). Lipid composition of fenugreek seeds comprise natural lipids
(85%), phospholipid (10%) and glycolipid (5%) while its fatty acid profile is
dominated by unsaturated fatty acid such as oleic acid and linoleic acid (Kakani and
Anwer 2012). Diosgenin, gitogenin, yamogenin, rigogenin, tigogenin and neorigogenin are the major saponins present in fenugreek seeds (Kakani and Anwer
2012; Dawidar et al. 1973). Sesquiterpenes, n-alkanes and non-alactone are the
reasons behind the aroma of the fenugreek seeds (Kakani and Anwer 2012).
Gentianine, carpaine and trigonelline are the major alkaloids present in the endosperm of fenugreek seeds (Garg 2016). Besides all these phytochemicals, galactomannan extracted from the seeds of fenugreek is also counted as a major bioactive
component. The detailed chemical constituents of fenugreek seeds are listed in
Table 11.1.
Table 11.1 Chemical composition of Fenugreek seeds
Class
Chemical constituent
References
Saponin
Diosgenin, trigogenin, gitongenin, fenugrin B,
yamogenin, rigogenin and neorigogeninetc
Kakani and Anwer
(2012), Dawidar et al.
(1973)
Alkaloids
Trigonelline, gentianine and carpaine
Garg (2016)
Polyphenols
Rhaponticin and isovitexin
He et al. (2015)
Volatile oils
and fixed oil
olfactometry diacetyl, 1-Octene-3-one, sotolon,
acetic acid; 3-Isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine,
butanoic acid, isovaleric acid,
3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine, caproic acid,
eugenol, 3-Amino-4,5-dimethyl-3, linalool, (Z)1,5-Octadiene-3-one and 4-dihydro-2(5H)Furanone
Blank et al. (1997)
Amino acid
Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, phenylalanine,
leucine, lysine, valine, glycine, isoleucine, serine,
proline, alanine, threonine, tyrosine, histidine,
phosphoethanolamine and methionine
Wani and Kumar
(2018)
Metals
Manganese, potassium, phosphorus, copper,
calcium, sodium, iron and zinc
Kakani and Anwer
(2012)
382
P. Mishra et al.
Fenugreek seeds possess a variety of phytochemicals present therein including
alkaloids, polyphenols, saponins, carbohydrates, proteins, fibres, amino acids and
lipids, (El Nasri and El Tinay 2007; Kakani and Anwer 2012). Potassium and
manganese are known to be the major metals present in seeds of fenugreek (Kakani
and Anwer 2012). Lipid composition of fenugreek seeds comprise natural lipids
(85%), phospholipid (10%) and glycolipid (5%) while its fatty acid profile is
dominated by unsaturated fatty acid such as oleic acid and linoleic acid (Kakani and
Anwer 2012). Diosgenin, gitogenin, yamogenin, rigogenin, tigogenin and neorigogenin are the major saponins present in fenugreek seeds (Kakani and Anwer
2012; Dawidar et al. 1973). Sesquiterpenes, n-alkanes and non-alactone are the
reasons behind the aroma of the fenugreek seeds (Kakani and Anwer 2012).
Gentianine, carpaine and trigonelline are the major alkaloids present in the endosperm of fenugreek seeds (Garg 2016). Besides all these phytochemicals, galactomannan extracted from the seeds of fenugreek is also counted as a major bioactive
component. The detailed chemical constituents of fenugreek seeds are listed in
Table 11.1.
Table 11.1 Chemical composition of Fenugreek seeds
Class
Chemical constituent
References
Saponin
Diosgenin, trigogenin, gitongenin, fenugrin B,
yamogenin, rigogenin and neorigogeninetc
Kakani and Anwer
(2012), Dawidar et al.
(1973)
Alkaloids
Trigonelline, gentianine and carpaine
Garg (2016)
Polyphenols
Rhaponticin and isovitexin
He et al. (2015)
Volatile oils
and fixed oil
olfactometry diacetyl, 1-Octene-3-one, sotolon,
acetic acid; 3-Isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine,
butanoic acid, isovaleric acid,
3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine, caproic acid,
eugenol, 3-Amino-4,5-dimethyl-3, linalool, (Z)1,5-Octadiene-3-one and 4-dihydro-2(5H)Furanone
Blank et al. (1997)
Amino acid
Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, phenylalanine,
leucine, lysine, valine, glycine, isoleucine, serine,
proline, alanine, threonine, tyrosine, histidine,
phosphoethanolamine and methionine
Wani and Kumar
(2018)
Metals
Manganese, potassium, phosphorus, copper,
calcium, sodium, iron and zinc
Kakani and Anwer
(2012)
382
P. Mishra et al.