Search

The diversity of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) microsymbionts has been barely studied even though it is of great interest for being a spice and a medicinal plant. Here, we analyzed 59 bacterial strains isolated from fenugreek nodules originating from different geographic and climatic areas of Iran. Most of these strains exhibit phenotypic characteristics compatible with rhizobia and they nodulate fenugreek. Analysis of the recA and atpD genes shows that representative strains of ERIC–BOX-PCR groups cluster with the type strains of Ensifer meliloti and E. kummerowiae as well as with strains capable of nodulating different Trigonella species found in other countries. The closeness of E. meliloti and E. kummerowiae suggests there is a need to revise the taxonomic status of the latter species. The nodC gene analysis shows that most Trigonella -nodulating strains belong to the symbiovar meliloti except those nodulating Trigonella arcuata in China, which belong to the symbiovar rigiduloides. This analysis shows that the type strains of E. kummerowiae , E. meliloti , and E. medicae belonged to three well-defined groups within the symbiovar meliloti, with the Iranian strains belonging to the E. kummerowiae subgroup. The small group of strains unable to nodulate fenugreek isolated in this study belong to Enterobacter cloacae , reported for the first time as being a possible endophyte of fenugreek nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic property of hydroalcoholic extract of Fenugreek seeds in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adult patients. METHODS: This randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel trial was conducted from November 2014 to June 2017. Patients aged between 18 and 70 years old with confirmed NAFLD were recruited from the Motahhari clinic, affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Participants either received 1 g hydroalcoholic extract of Fenugreek seeds or placebo daily for 3 months. The primary outcomes were changes in serum alanine transaminase and FibroScan controlled attenuation parameter score. Secondary outcome measures were changes in other laboratory data, liver stiffness measure, liver steatosis percent, and anthropometric variables. Participants were randomly assigned to the groups using blocked randomization method. Participants, investigators, and statistician were blinded to treatments allocation. RESULTS: After screening eighty patients, thirty patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups (1:1). After 3 months, two and four patients did not complete the trial in Fenugreek and placebo group, respectively. The changes in the anthropometrics, laboratories and FibroScan measurements were not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The evidence to prove the efficacy of the Fenugreek seeds' hydroalcoholic extract in NAFLD was not strong enough; hence, further experiments are still needed to assess the possible efficacy of Fenugreek on the treatment of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]