Antioxidative Activity of Fenugreek Seed Extracts

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the phytochemical components, medicinal terminology, and experimental methods used to analyze the antioxidant potential of Fenugreek seed extracts as described in the research paper.

Trigonella foenum-graecum

The scientific name for Fenugreek, an annual herb belonging to the family $Leguminosae$ used widely as a spice and in traditional medicine.

Soxhlet extraction

A continuous extraction method used in the study to prepare crude extracts from ground fenugreek seeds using six different organic solvents.

Folin-Ciocalteu method

A spectrophotometric procedure used to determine the total phenolic content ($TPC$) by measuring the absorbance of a blue-colored reaction at $765\,\text{nm}$.

Gallic acid

The chemical used as a standard for the calibration curve to express the results of the total phenolic content ($TPC$) assay.

Flavonoids

Active phytochemicals measured using an $AlCl_3$ colorimetric assay and expressed in quercetin equivalents ($\mu\text{g/g}$).

Chelating Activity

The capacity of a substance to reduce the concentration of catalyzing transition metals in lipid peroxidation, evaluated using a $2,2'\text{-bipyridyl}$ competition assay.

DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl)

A stable free radical used to evaluate the radical scavenging or quenching capacity of antioxidants at an absorbance of $517\,\text{nm}$.

Reducing Power

The ability of extracts to transform potassium ferricyanide to the ferro form, which is associated with the antioxidant effects of phenolic constituents.

Galactagogue

A milk-producing agent; fenugreek seeds are traditionally used by nursing mothers to increase the supply of breast milk.

Haematinic

A property related to blood formation; both the leaves and seeds of fenugreek are noted for this value in the diets of growing children and pregnant women.

Trigonelline

A rare chemical constituent found in fenugreek seeds thought to contribute to its therapeutic effects, such as lowering sugar levels.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

A known synthetic reducing agent used in the study as a comparison standard for measuring the reducing power of fenugreek extracts.

Na2EDTA

Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate; the standard compound used to evaluate and report the $Fe^{2+}$ chelating activity in the seed extracts.

$$AlCl_3$$

Aluminum chloride, the reagent used as a complexing agent to make flavonoids detectable during the colorimetric assay.

Solvent Polarity

A chemical property that influenced the study's results, where highly polar solvents like ethanol and methanol produced higher yields of phenolic compounds.