Abstract
Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek), a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), is a promising source of bioactive phytochemicals, which explains its traditional use for a variety of metabolic disorders including cancer. The current study aimed to evaluate extracts of fenugreek seeds and sprouts, and some of their constituents, to compare their cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The extracts were chemically characterised using high-resolution accurate mass liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to reveal the detection of compounds assigned as flavone C-glycosides including those derived from apigenin and luteolin, in addition to isoflavones. Five different flavones or their glycosides (apigenin, vicenin-2, vitexin, luteolin and orientin) and two isoflavones (daidzein and formononetin) were quantified in the fenugreek extracts. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay using MCF-7 cells treated with fenugreek methanolic extracts showed dose- and time-dependent effects on cell viability. The MCF-7 cancer cells treated with the fenugreek methanolic extracts also displayed increased relative mitochondrial DNA damage as well as suppressed metastasis and proliferation. This study demonstrates the potential anti-cancer effects of fenugreek seeds and sprouts and reveals fenugreek sprouts as an untapped resource for bioactive compounds.
Highlights
Trigonella foenum-graecum L., commonly known as fenugreek, is an annual legume belonging to the Fabaceae family and is cultivated as a cash crop for its seeds
The extract yields from the dry ground fenugreek sprouts and seeds after Soxhlet extraction are shown in Table 1 with different yields being observed between seeds and sprouts and the extraction solvent
Of the three extraction solvents used (n-hexane, methanol, and chloroform), methanol was the most efficient at obtaining the highest extraction yields from the fenugreek sprouts and seeds. This was demonstrated in a recent study in which bioactive phytochemicals were extracted from fenugreek seeds using a hydromethanolic solution (50/50, v/v) [7]
Summary
Trigonella foenum-graecum L., commonly known as fenugreek, is an annual legume belonging to the Fabaceae family and is cultivated as a cash crop for its seeds. This herb is native to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan and has been introduced to a range of other countries [1]. Fenugreek is of interest for use in cancer therapy because it has antioxidant and immunostimulatory activity [5]. Both its seeds and leaves contain phytochemicals including flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins [4]. Fenugreek seed extracts fed to rats at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight significantly inhibited 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary hyperplasia and decreased its incidence in these test animals [8], indicating that fenugreek seed extracts have potential anti-breast cancer benefits
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