RESUMO
This study was designed to examine physicochemical characteristics, chemical compositions and biological activities of fenugreek seed oil (FSO) and its pure triglyceride (TG). One fenugreek TG was purified using a bioassay-guided fractionation and administrated to surviving diabetic rats. The free fatty acids percentage as well as, the peroxide, the saponification and the iodine values were 2%, 12 mequiv. O2/kg of oil, 189 (mg KOH/g) and 110 (g/100 g of oil), respectively. Linolenic acid (C18:3 26.14%), Linoleic acid (C18:2 41.13%) and Oleic acid (C18:1 17.07%) were the dominant fatty acids in the FSO. ß-sitosterol was the major sterol (85.3%) in the FSO. LnLnO (17.1%), LLL (16.6%), OLL and OOLn (8.4%), were the abundant triglycerides. The hexane extract of fenugreek seed (exhibiting the powerful inhibitory activity against alpha-amylase) was purified using a bioassay-guided fractionation affording one fenugreek TG: (11Z)-11- eicosenoic acid 2, 3- bis[((9Z, 12Z, 15Z)-1-oxo-9, 12, 15-octadecatrien-1-yl)oxy] propyl ester. In diabetic rats, the administration of the fenugreek TG inhibited α-amylase activity in small intestine by 36% as compared to untreated diabetic rats. Moreover, fenugreek TG increased insulin sensibility which leads to decrease in blood glucose level by 43%. In addition, this study demonstrated that administration of pure fenugreek TG to diabetic rats ameliorated the glycogen rate in liver and muscle. In addition, the administration of fenugreek TG reverted back the activity of angiotensin converting enzyme respectively in kidney and plasma by 33 and 29%. Interestingly, the fenugreek TG inhibited lipase activity in small intestine by 33% which leads to the regulation of lipid profile. Moreover, the fenugreek TG protected liver-kidney function evidenced by histological study. In conclusion, our finding demonstrates that the administration of fenugreek TG to diabetic rats can make it a potential candidate for industrial application as a pharmacological agent for the treatment of hyperglycemia.