ABSTRACT
Fenugreek (T. foenum-graecum L.) is an ancient annual forage legume species and a traditional spice crop which has been grown since ancient times on the Indian subcontinent. In addition to the Indian subcontinent, fenugreek is also grown in some parts of North Africa, Mediterranean Europe, China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Canada, USA, and Argentina. India possesses the first rank in the production and productivity of fenugreek but due to high internal consumption, does not have a major share of the global fenugreek trade. Every part of the plant has been used traditionally in Indian Ayurvedic medicines as well as in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medication for several centuries. Modern research has demonstrated that fenugreek seed and leaves are useful in the treatment of various diseases. Although the crop is grown in limited areas, the potential regions of fenugreek production are namely Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The Trigonella genus has many diploid species with variance in the chromosome numbers but the 2n = 16 is the most common in the species. Furthermore, a huge amount of morphological and molecular diversity was observed by several researchers in the studied germplasm. Molecular markers are better tools to assess genetic diversity and to establish the genetic relationship among the germplasms. Thus the plant has recently attracted great interest in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and functional food industries due to its wealthy medicinal properties.
