ANALYSIS OF STEROIDAL SAPOGENINS FROM AMBER FENUGREEK (TRIGONELLA-FOENUM-GRAECUM) BY CAPILLARY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY AND COMBINED GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Mixtures of steroidal sapogenins isolated from the seed and combined a erial parts (foliage) of fenugreek (cultivar Amber) have been examined by capillary column gas chromatography with mass spectral and flame i onization detectors. Diosgenin [(25R)-spirost-5-en-3 beta ol] was the major component in seed and foliage extracts hydrolyzed with hydrochlo ric acid. Yamogenin also appeared to be present. Tigogenin, neotigogen in, smilagenin, and sarsasapogenin were identified in the extracts. Di hydroxy steroidal sapogenins, tentatively identified as yuccagenin, gi togenin, and neogitogenin, were detected as minor components in hydrol yzed extracts from seed. A gas chromatographic method based on the use of an internal standard and a column of HP-5MS was developed to deter mine diosgenin in Amber fenugreek. Expressed on a dry weight basis, me an levels of diosgenin in seed were 0.54%. In field-grown foliage samp led during a season at 9, 15, and 19 weeks postseeding, diosgenin leve ls were 0.16, 0.07, and 0.07%, respectively.