Biosynthesis of Trigonelline

Biosynthesis of trigonelline.

Trigonelline, N-methyl nicotinic acid, was first noted in the seeds of Trigonella joenum-graecum (the fenugreek) (1) and has since been found in the seeds and tubers of many species (2,3) as well as in leaves of one species of pea (4). Although one may assume that trigonelline arises metabolically from nicotinic acid, definitive evidence has been lacking. In the course of several attempts to de...

Metabolism of trigonelline.

During the germination of seeds and the early growth of plants, trigonelline (N-methylnicotinic acid) disappears and pyridine nucleotides appear in the plant tissue (1, 2). Hence, it has been surmised, albeit without direct evidence, that the trigonelline of the seeds is a precursor of pyridine nucleotides in seedling plants. In an earlier study from this laboratory (3), it was shown that prepa...

Protection of Trigonelline on Experimental Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

The mechanisms leading to diabetic peripheral neuropathy are complex and there is no effective drug to treat it. As an active component of several traditional Chinese medicines, trigonelline has beneficial effects on diabetes with hyperlipidemia. The protective effects and the mechanism of trigonelline on diabetic peripheral neuropathy were evaluated in streptozotocin- and high-carbohydrate/hig...

Insights into the Effect of Trigonelline in the P53 Pathway

The metabolic origin of trigonelline in the rat.

A hypothesis of Mason & Kodicek [(1970) Biochem. J. 120, 515-521] that esterified nicotinic acid in niacytin from cereals is a precursor for trigonelline was investigated in rats. Single oral doses of niacytin resulted in the excretion of trigonelline in urine but only in rats that were niacin-deficient and were fed a cereal diet. These animals were found to have an abnormally permeable intesti...