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Implication of steroid saponins and sapogenins in the hypocholesterolemic effect of fenugreek
Author(s) -
Sauvaire Yves,
Ribes Gérard,
Baccou JeanClaude,
LoubatieresMariani MarieMadeleine
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02543970
Subject(s) - sapogenin , lipidology , steroid , clinical chemistry , chemistry , food science , biochemistry , medicine , hormone , alternative medicine , pathology
The transformation of fenugreek subfractions, rich in steroid saponins, was studied upon their passage through the digestive tract to determine the contribution of saponins and/or diosgenin and other steroid sapogenins to the hypocholesterolemic effect of fenugreek seeds. Feces of alloxan diabetic dogs fed fenugreek subfractions were analyzed, and diosgenin, smilagenin and gitogenin were identified and measured using capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Our results show that saponins are, in part (about 57%), hydrolyzed into sapogenins in the digestive tract. It appears that saponins may be implicated, alone or together with diosgenin, in the observed hypocholesterolemic effect of fenugreek seeds in diabetic dogs.