Methi Trigonella foenum graecum| Methi Powder

Common Name:

Fenugreek ( Eng.)

Sanskrit Name:

Methika

Methi

Peetbija

Lt. Name:

Trigonella foenum graecum - Leguminoseae

Bio energetics:

Rasa (Taste) – Katu (Pungent)

Guna (Characteristics)- Laghu (Light); Snigdha (Unctuous)

Veerya (Potency)- Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka (Post digestion effect)- Katu (Pungent)

Chemical composition:

Fenugreek leaves contain moisture 86.1 percent, protein 4.4 percent, fat 0.9 percent, minerals 1.5 percent, fiber 1.1 percent and carbohydrates 6.0 percent per 100 grams of edible portion. The mineral and vitamin contents are calcium, iron, phosphorous, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C.

Fenugreek seeds contain moisture 13.7 percent, protein 26.2 percent, fat 5.8 percent, minerals 3.0 percent, fiber 7.2 percent and carbohydrates 44.1 percent per 100 grams. The mineral and vitamin contents are calcium, phosphorous, carotene, thiamine, niacin and riboflavin. Several alkaloids have been found in fenugreek seeds.

The seeds contain alkaloid trigonelline and choline, essential oil and saponin. Trigonelline has highly toxic action on neuromuscular preparations. The seeds also contain fixed and volatile oil, mucilage, bitter extractive and a yellow coloring substance. Air-dried seeds contain a little amount of trigonelline and nicotinic acid.

Effect on Tridosha (Three bio humors):

Methi specially pcifies the Vata Dsha in the body so it is very useful in management of all Vata Diseases.

Actions according to Ayurveda:

Arochakahar:Methi alleviates sensation of tastelessness from mouth
Deeptikar:Methi ignites the digetsive fire in the stomach.
Vata pranashini : Methi is one of the best vata pacifiing herb in Ayurveda
Jwarnashini:Methi is useful in chronic fever where exact pathology can not be determined.

Medicinal value:

Fenugreek seeds are thought to be a galactagogue that is often used to increase milk supply in lactating women.
Adjunct use of fenugreek seeds improves glycemic control and decreases insulin resistance in mild type-2 diabetic patients. There is also a favourable effect on hypertriglyceridemia.

Effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seeds on glycaemic control and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a double blind placebo controlled study. Gupta A, Gupta R, Lal B. Jaipur Diabetes and Research Centre.

Studies suggest that fenugreek and its active constituents may possess anticarcinogenic potential. The preventive efficacy of dietary fenugreek seed and its major steroidal saponin constituent, diosgenin, was evaluated on azoxymethane-induced rat colon carcinogenesis during initiation and promotion stages. On the basis of the findings, the fenugreek constituent diosgenin seems to have potential as a novel colon cancer preventive agent.

Diosgenin, a Steroid Saponin of Trigonella foenum graecum (Fenugreek), Inhibits Azoxymethane-Induced Aberrant Crypt Foci Formation in F344 Rats and Induces Apoptosis in HT-29 Human Colon Cancer Cells - Jayadev Raju, Jagan M.R. Patlolla, Malisetty V. Swamy andChinthalapally V. Rao

The immune system plays a pivotal role in the development of pathological conditions. Any change in the immune system can have a profound effect on the differential toxic responses. In this study, the effect of chronic restraint stressed mice skin treated with trichloroethylene (TCE) (200 µL of 80% v/v) and subsequently exposed to UVB (0.42 J/m2/s) has been evaluated. The inflammatory and oxidative damage so caused were restored by application ofTrigonella foenum graecum.
Trigonella was successful in ameliorating this oxidative stress (OS), inflammation (MPO) and ODC, suggesting a central role of oxidants in the pathology of stressed mice.

Trigonella foenum graecum Prevents Pathological Exacerbation by Toxic Insults Following Chronic Restraint Stress in Mice Skin; Farrah Ali, andSarwat Sultana, Jamia Hamdard

Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek) seed powder has been suggested to have potential antidiabetic effects. The effect of oral administration of Trigonella whole seed powder (5% in the diet) for 21 days on glycolytic, gluconeogenic and NADPlinked lipogenic enzymes were studied in liver and kidney tissues of alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats. The therapeutic role of Trigonella seed powder in type1 diabetes as exemplified in the study can be attributed to the change of glucose and lipid metabolising enzyme activities to normal values, thus stabilizing glucose homeostasis in the liver and kidney. These biochemical effects exerted by Trigonella seeds make it a possible new therapeutic in type1 diabetes.

Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek) seed powder improves glucose homeostasis in alloxan diabetic rat tissues by reversing the altered glycolytic, gluconeogenic and lipogenic enzymesJayadev Raju, Dhananjay Gupta, Araga R. Rao, Pramod K. Yadava and Najma Z. Baquer

Useful part:

Whole Plant; seeds

Doses:

Powder : 1-3 gm

Some combinations with Methi:

Methi Modaka

Some important notes about Methi:

Because of too much usefulness of methi in general health management it is very much admired by Ayurveda physicians specially the folk physicians.
Bhav Prakash Nighantu