The effect of fenugreek on nociceptive response in diabetic rats

Diabetic rats display exaggerated hyperalgesic behavior in response to noxious stimuli that may resemble and model aspects of painful diabetic neuropathy in humans. This study was designed to investigate the effect of Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) on formalin-induced nociceptive responses (standard formalin test) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. For this purpose, STZ-diabetic rats received intraperitoneal injection of aqueous leaf extract of TFG (200 mg/kg every other day for a period of one month). It was found out that TFG treatment did cause a significant reduction in blood glucose in diabetic rats and TFG-treated diabetic rats exhibited a lower nociceptive score as compared to untreated-diabetic ones. Meanwhile, TFG treatment reduced the nociceptive score in both phases of the formalin test. In contrast, sodium salicylate as positive control only reduced this score in the second phase of the test. The results suggest therapeutic potential of aqueous extract of fenugreek for treating painful diabetic neuropathy.