Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Effect of Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum) Seeds in Mice under Lithogenic Condition.

We recently reported that dietary fenugreek seeds lower the incidence of cholesterol
gallstones (CGS) in high-cholesterol fed mice and also regress pre-established
CGS. In this study, fenugreek was evaluated for hepatoprotective and antioxidant
influence in mice fed high-cholesterol diet (HCD). After feeding HCD for 10
weeks, groups of animals were maintained for further 10 weeks on HCD/basal
diet/basal diet containing 6 or 12% fenugreek. Activities of serum aspartate aminotrasferase,
alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase
increased with prolonged feeding of HCD. Activities of these enzymes
were lower in animals fed basal control/ fenugreek containing diets after initial
exposure to HCD, and were prominent in fenugreek groups. Hepatic lipid peroxides
decreased and antioxidant molecules increased in fenugreek fed groups.
Activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes – glutathione reductase, glutathione-Stransferase
and glutathione peroxidase were higher in fenugreek treatment. These
results suggested hepatoprotective and antioxidant potential of fenugreek seeds
under conditions of lithogenicity.