Protective Effect of Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek) Seed Extract on Experimental Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Objective- This study was performed to evaluate whether Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek) seeds extract has any protective activity in intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat. Design- Experimental study. Animals- 20 male Wistar albino rats. Procedures- Four groups of rats were included in this study. Group I (I/R) underwent ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) of the intestine (45 min of ischemia followed by 1 h of reperfusion). Group II (fenugreek +I/R) was given fenugreek seeds extract via oral gavages for 2 wk before inducing I/R. Group III (vitamin C + I/R) and group IV (control) had sham I/R. After the experiments, the jejunum was removed and the tissues were processed for histopathologic examination. Results- I/R group animals showed severe mucosal damage. The intestinal mucosa in the groups II and III was preserved in comparison with that in the group I. Significant decrease in histopathological scores was noted in the VitC and fenugreek groups in comparison with I/R group. There was no significant difference between the VitC and fenugreek groups (p>0.05). Conclusion and clinical relevance- According to the results of current study, administration of Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek) seeds extract before inducing I/R protects the intestinal mucosa from injury.