ABSTRACT
Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) from Fabaceae has been used as herbal medicine to treat various disorders worldwide since antiquity.
Recent evidence from preclinical and clinical studies have shown the potential of fenugreek to control hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus. Antihyperglycaemic properties of fenugreek are mainly attributed to its bioactive constituents, mainly 4-hydroxyisoleucin, galactomannan, diosgenin and trigonelline. The potential mechanisms underlying antidiabetic activity of fenugreek and its substances are associated with β cell regeneration, increasing insulin secretion, improving the insulin-signalling pathway in adipocytes and liver cells, modulating enzymes related to glucose metabolism and inhibiting glucose resorption from the gastrointestinal tract.
Given the large body of evidence, fenugreek and its bioactive constituents have a strong potential to be used as complementary medicines for controlling glucose in diabetes mellitus.
This review aims to discuss the effect of fenugreek in the management of hyperglycaemia from preclinical and clinical studies and the underlying mechanisms of actions.
