Following the prohibition on usage of antibiotics as growth promoters, Breeders try to use other alternatives. Nowadays, phytogenic feed additives like herbs are getting popular and are incorporated in the diet of poultry and livestock. In order to enhance productivity by improvement of digestibility, nutrient absorption and elimination of pathogens residents in the gut. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) seed is rich in protein, fat, total carbohydrates and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, magnesium, fatty acids predominantly linoleic, linolenic, oleic and palmitic. Fenugreek seeds are the most important and useful part of fenugreek plant having many therapeutic effects like hypoglycaemic, antibacterial, ant-inflammatory, antipyretic, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. They have a role in improving the performance of poultry birds and livestocks by their antibacterial activity and positive effect on gut morphology.  

Simple production process in our factory: After the plant is collected, raw material will be processed by solvent extraction, separation and purification, filtration, concentration, purification,drying and other steps to form the final products. We may also design a prouction process based on your special requirements.

General Information

Common Names of raw material: Fenugreek, greek hay, greek clover, Methi

Latin Names: Trigonella foenum graecum

Description

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is an annual herbaceous legume. It is an erect, smooth, herbaceous plant that can grow up to a height of 40-80 cm. It is taprooted. Its stems are erect, up to 50 cm high, sometimes branched. The leaves are alternate, compound, trifoliolate, 7-12 cm long, light green in colour. The leaflets are oval, up to 5 cm long, hairy on their lower face. The flowers are papillonaceous, borne in leaf axils, white, lemon-yellow or purplish blue in colour. The fruits occur as straight or sickle-like pods of 2-10 cm, long, thin and pointed, and contain 10-20 seeds. The seeds are 6-8 mm long, oblong or square, green-olive or brownish in colour, with a very strong and spicy odour.

Bioactive  compounds  of  Fenugreek  and  their  medicinal properties

Fenugreek  contains  steroids,  sapogenins  &  diosgenin  being major  constituents.  Sapogenins  are  glycone  portion  of  plant steroid  derivative  saponins.  It has  6-C rings  with 2  to 3  side chains containing methyl or hydroxyl group. Diosgenin is a 27-C steroidal compound and used as raw material for making oral contractive & sex hormones. Fenugreek seeds do not contain free sapogenins but they occur as complex glycosides. It is  a  precursor for  synthesizing  progesterone which was  earlier used in combined oral contraceptive pills. It has the property to reduce the level of serum cholesterol.  

Recent reports concluded that fenugreek seeds have five different types of flavonoids namely, vitexin, tricin,naringenin, quercetin, and tricin -7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside. Iso-flavanoid phytoalexins are also reported to occur in the fenugreek in the form of the pterocarpans, medicarpin and maackiaian. A current report showed the common phenolic compounds extracted from fenugreek to be coumarin, scopoletin, chlorogenic, caffeic p-coumaric acids and quercetin. Strong antioxidant like quercetin has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant,anti-tumor,immunomodulatory,anti-ulcer,anti-cancer,antioxidant,anti-diabetic, anti-antigenic.anti-inflammatory activities and many other properties including the  improvement of mental and physical performance. Recently, quercetin has been reported to  possess beneficial antidiabetic effects under in vitro as well as under in vitro conditions 28 . The antidiabetic mechanism of quercetin has been reported to involve in reduction of  intestinal glucose absorption at the level of glucose transporters, increase insulin secretion from  pancreatic β-cells blockage of tyrosine kinase activity of β-subunit of insulin receptor,  inhibit11-β- hydroxysteriod dehydrogenate type 1 enzyme, increase glucokinase activity,  prevention degeneration of β-cells, increase glucosidase inhibition,reduction in insulin  resistance, and enhancement in adiponectin expression. Recent studies indicate that quercetin  effectively ameriolates postprandial hyperglycemia in STZ-induced diabetic rats and these reflection were mediated through α-glucosidase inhibition. Further, it has also been reported  to improving its hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and antioxidant value of STZ induced diabetic rats.

Background fenugreek extract powder

The active ingredient in Fenugreek Extract is diosgenin. Diosgenin is a unique naturally occurring steroidal sapongenin that has been proven to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more natural growth hormones. Diosgenin is a component of the compound saponin which is found in the fenugreek seed. Saponins have been proven to inhibit urease in the animal's digestive system. This will effectively reduce the amount of ammonia emissions produced by the animal by inhibiting the splitting of urea into its two separate components-ammonia and carbon dioxide.

Fenugreek extract improves growth in pigs and poultry

All-natural fenugreek powder extract can improve growth performance, feed conversion and reduces ammonia odour. studies completed with growing, lactating and weanling pigs and the remaining two were completed with layer and broiler chickens.

Some studies on pigs and chickens indicated that supplementation of the fenugreek powder in pig's diet significantly improved growth performance, nutrient digestibility and reduced ammonia and hydrogen sulfide compared to the control group. And chicken groups had improved feed conversion, nutrient digestibility and reduced ammonia with the introduction of the powder to their diet. Eggs had higher weight, thicker shell, improved yolk colour and improved HDL cholesterol.

Antibacterial effect

In vitro antibacterial activity experiments. Fenugreek ethanol extract shows good effect on inhibition against E.coli. This may attibute to its flavonoids, saponins and phenols present in it.

Impact on gut histomorphology

Added fenugreek at 0.5% level in the diet of laying hens reduced total lipid content in liver. The hepato- protective role of Fenugreek seeds have been attributed to the bioactive ingredients present in it, which enhance hepatic function and due to its antioxidant activity. WHO also reported the antioxidant capacity of the Fenugreek extracts. Add proper fenugreek seeds in broiler ration resulted significant increase in the villus height and width, crypt depth and surface area of the intestine. Increased villus height helps to enhance the absorptive surface area for better utilization of nutrients. The short or damaged villi impair the absorption of intestine, which might lead to poor  performance of birds. The improvement in the villus height/crypt depth ratio is regarded as a good indicator of better intestinal health. The beneficial effect on intestinal histomorphology by Fenugreek seeds might be attributed to their antimicrobial action which in turn has been reported to decreases the inflammatory  reactions at the mucosa, thereby increasing the villus height .

Fenugreek Extract increase food consumption and induced hypocholesterolemia in animals

Fenugreek contains high content of steroid saponins.Studies show that the treatment with fenugreek extract containing high content of steroid saponins significantly increased food intake and the motivation to eat in normal rats, while modifying the circadian rhythm of feeding behavior; it also stabilized the food consumption in diabetic rats, which resulted in a progressive weight gain in these animals, in contrast to untreated diabetic controls. Both in normal and diabetic rats, steroid saponins decreased total plasma cholesterol without any change in triglycerides. In conclusion, Steroid saponins containing in Fenugreek seed enhance food consumption and motivation to eat, and reduce plasma cholesterol levels in rats.

Conclusion

A number of feed additives are available for inclusion in poultry diets in order to improve their performance, however, the unfavourable effect of chemical products especially antibiotics led to the use of natural products viz herbs to improve the efficiency of feed utilization and growth performance of poultry. Fenugreek in this regard has many beneficial effects particularly in improvement the growth performance and gut morphology of poultry without causing any harmful effect on their health.

Nutra-Herb Ingredients produce Fenugreek Extract, Which is FAMI-QS certified. This product is already listed in EU feed addtive list.

Trigonella foenum-graecum L.:

Fenugreek extract CAS 84625-40-1 FEMA 2485 CoE 460 EINECS 283-415-1

European Union-Register of Feed Additives/pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003