The seeds of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) have medicinal uses as
hypoglycemic, antinociceptive and
anti-inflammatory agents. We aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the major fractions of fenugreek seeds. The methanolic extract of the plant seeds was partitioned using a liquid-liquid extraction procedure to give six major fractions. Following
phytochemical screening of isolated fractions, the total extract and each fraction were evaluated for their antinociception and anti-inflammatory effects using
formalin and
carrageenan-induced paw
edema tests respectively. The methanolic extract exhibited both antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects at a dose of 100mg/kg. Among the tested fractions, alkaline
chloroform fraction (AKC), which was
alkaloid positive in screening tests, showed the most anti-nociceptive effect in a dose-dependent manner. AKC fraction was as effective as
morphine (5mg/kg) in this regard. Both aqueous and acidified
chloroform fractions (ACC) could significantly inhibit paw
edema at a different dose. The latter fraction dose-dependently inhibited
carrageenan-induced paw
edema. The results of
phytochemical screening tests confirmed the presence of
flavonoids in both ACC and aqueous fractions. It can be concluded that the
alkaloid and
flavonoid content of fenugreek seeds can be responsible for antinociception and anti-inflammatory effects of the plant respectively.