Stark A, Madar Z
Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel.
Br J Nutr. 1993 Jan;69(1):277-87. doi: 10.1079/bjn19930029.
The hypocholesterolaemic properties of an ethanol extract from defatted fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds were investigated. Purification of the crude extract by dialysis produced an isolated component with haemolytic properties. The dialysate was also found to contain saponins demonstrated by thin-layer chromatography. Experiments in vitro employing the everted-sac technique showed that the ethanol extract had the ability to inhibit taurocholate and deoxycholate absorption in a dose-dependent manner. In two separate feeding experiments, hypercholesterolaemic rats were fed on 30 or 50 g ethanol extract/kg for a 4-week period. Reductions in plasma cholesterol levels ranged from 18 to 26% and a tendency for lower concentrations of liver cholesterol was observed. These results indicate that the ethanol extract from fenugreek seeds contained hypocholesterolaemic components which appear to be saponins that interact with bile salts in the digestive tract.
对脱脂胡芦巴（Trigonella foenum - graecum）种子乙醇提取物的降胆固醇特性进行了研究。通过透析对粗提取物进行纯化，得到了一种具有溶血特性的分离成分。通过薄层色谱法还发现透析液中含有皂苷。采用外翻肠囊技术进行的体外实验表明，乙醇提取物能够以剂量依赖性方式抑制牛磺胆酸盐和脱氧胆酸盐的吸收。在两项独立的喂养实验中，给高胆固醇血症大鼠喂食30或50克/千克乙醇提取物，持续4周。血浆胆固醇水平降低了18%至26%，并且观察到肝脏胆固醇浓度有降低的趋势。这些结果表明，胡芦巴种子乙醇提取物含有降胆固醇成分，这些成分似乎是与消化道中的胆汁盐相互作用的皂苷。
