Phytochemical Profile of Trigonella caerulea (Blue Fenugreek) Herb and Quantification of Aroma-Determining Constituents

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of Trigonella corniculata (L.)L. (Nagauri pan /Kasuri methi), an important spice

Trigonella corniculata (L) L. or Nagauri pan /Kasuri methi, is an important spice crop with high nutraceutical potential. We report the de novo chromosome-scale assembly of T. corniculata genome using high coverage PacBio, Illumina and Hi-C reads. The assembly spans 798 Mb (Megabases) in 282 scaffolds with a scaffold N50 of 99.6 Mb. More than 98% of the sequence length is captured in eight different pseudomolecules with an average length of 98 Mb. A BUSCO score of over 97% is suggestive of the high degree of completeness and contiguity of the genome. A total of 64,801 protein-coding genes are predicted. Genome-wide Simple Sequence Repeats (99,149) have been identified and wet lab validated at forty-eight loci. The chromosome-scale genome assembly of T. corniculata and the SSR markers identified in this study will provide a strong foundation for future structural and functional genomics studies in T. corniculata and other fenugreek species.

Mechanisms of intestinal pharmacokinetic natural product-drug interactions

The growing co-consumption of botanical natural products with conventional medications has intensified the need to understand potential effects on drug safety and efficacy. This review delves into the intricacies of intestinal pharmacokinetic interactions between botanical natural products and drugs, such as alterations in drug solubility, permeability, transporter activity, and enzyme-mediated metabolism. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how drug solubility, dissolution, and osmolality interplay with botanical constituents in the gastrointestinal tract, potentially altering drug absorption and systemic exposure. Unlike reviews that focus primarily on enzyme and transporter mechanisms, this article highlights the lesser known but equally important mechanisms of interaction. Applying the Biopharmaceutics Drug Disposition Classification System (BDDCS) can serve as a framework for predicting and understanding these interactions. Through a comprehensive examination of specific botanical natural products such as byakkokaninjinto, green tea catechins, goldenseal, spinach extract, and quercetin, we illustrate the diversity of these interactions and their dependence on the physicochemical properties of the drug and the botanical constituents involved. This understanding is vital for healthcare professionals to effectively anticipate and manage potential natural product-drug interactions, ensuring optimal patient therapeutic outcomes. By exploring these emerging mechanisms, we aim to broaden the scope of natural product-drug interaction research and encourage comprehensive studies to better elucidate complex mechanisms.

Variability in genome size of Trigonella foenum-graecum, Trigonella corniculata and Trigonella caerulea as estimated by flow cytometry indicates complex evolutionary history of fenugreek

BACKGROUND

The determination of genome size is a fundamental step which provides a basis to initiate studies aimed at deciphering the genetic similarity of a species and to carry out other genomics based investigations. Fenugreek (Trigonella spp.) is an important spice crop which has numerous health promoting phytochemicals. Many species within this genus are known for their various health benefits owing to the presence of a wide diversity of important phytochemicals like diosgenin, trigonelline, fenugreekine, galactomannan, 4-hydroxy isoleucine, etc. It is a multipurpose crop being cultivated for food, animal feed and industrial purposes. Despite its importance, research on the genomics aspect of fenugreek remains scant. In the absence of sufficient genomic information, crop improvement in fenugreek is severely lagging.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Estimation of genome size of a species is the preliminary step for initiation of any genomic studies and therefore in the present study we have estimated the genome size for fenugreek. Here, we have determined the genome sizes of three different Trigonella spp. namely T. foenum-graecum, T. corniculata and T. caerulea through flow cytometry (FC). The 2 C DNA content values were found to be 6.05 pg (T. foenum-graecum), 1.83 pg (T. corniculata) and 1.96 pg (T. caerulea). The genome size of T. foenum-graecum is approximately three times the genome size of T. corniculata and T. caerulea. This variation in genome size of more than three-fold indicates the level of genetic divergence among the three species, though within the same genus.

CONCLUSIONS

The differences observed in the genome sizes of the three species provide conclusive evidence of their genetic divergence. Additionally, the information about the genome size would provide an impetus to the structural and functional genomics-based research in this crop.