Foenum Graecum is a sizeable herb, probably originated in Iran or India, now widely cultivated in Arabia, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Morocco and Tunisia.
The uncrushed seed emits only a very faint odor. However, the comminuted seed releases an intensely sweet, spicy, proteinlike, soup like and caramellic odor. Steam distillation of the seeds has been tried although with very Poor yields of Extraction with volatile hydrocarbon solvents or with weak alcohol will yield products of various appearance, odor and flavor. The hydroalcoholic extract is very dark and resinous in appearance and has an intensely sweet, rootlike odor. The petroleum ether extract of the crushed seeds is lighter of color but less sweet of odor.
The characteristic odor of Fenugreek Extract is a celery like spicyness, a coumarinic balsamic sweetness and an intense, almost sickening and strong, lovage like or opopanax like note of extreme tenacity. The diffusive power of the odor of this material is usually underestimated by far. Traces of fenugreek extract can ruin a perfume, but equally minute concentrations of fenugreek extract can have a nice effect in certain compositions such as oriental bases, aldehydic herbaceous topnotes, chypres, fougeres, lavender compositions and new mown hay bases.
Calmative agent for skin care preparations, contains mucilage.
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