Risks, Benefits, and Molecular Targets of Fenugreek Administration in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

TL;DR

This review explores fenugreek's potential as a supportive treatment for liver cancer, highlighting its benefits, risks, and biological mechanisms.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of fenugreek's therapeutic potential and safety in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

Findings

Fenugreek compounds like diosgenin and saponins show antitumor effects through apoptosis and cell cycle regulation.

Fenugreek exhibits hepatoprotective properties via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

Safety concerns include reproductive toxicity and herb-drug interactions, especially in patients with liver dysfunction.

Abstract

Liver cancer is a serious disease with limited treatment options, and many patients experience side effects from current therapies. Fenugreek is a commonly used medicinal plant that has shown potential benefits for liver health and cancer prevention in laboratory studies. This review explores whether fenugreek could be a useful supportive option in the treatment of liver cancer. The authors aim to summarize current knowledge on how fenugreek and its natural compounds may slow cancer growth, protect liver cells, and interact with key biological processes involved in cancer development. At the same time, possible safety concerns, such as side effects and interactions with cancer drugs, are carefully discussed. By bringing together evidence on benefits, risks, and biological mechanisms, this work highlights both the promise and the limitations of fenugreek. The findings may help researchers identify knowledge gaps, guide future clinical studies, and support safer, more evidence-based use of plant-derived compounds in liver cancer research.

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) has attracted growing interest as a complementary agent in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Its rich botanical and phytochemical profile, including key bioactive compounds such as diosgenin, trigonelline, saponins, and flavonoids, underpins a spectrum of biological activities relevant to liver cancer therapy. This review critically examines the risks, benefits, and molecular targets of fenugreek administration in HCC, synthesising current evidence on extraction methods, standardisation, pharmacokinetics, and mechanisms of action. Preclinical studies highlight fenugreek’s antitumor efficacy, mediated by apoptosis induction, cell cycle regulation, and modulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, while its hepatoprotective effects are supported by robust antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the safety profile is nuanced, with potential risks including reproductive toxicity, rare hypersensitivity reactions, and herb–drug interactions, particularly in patients with compromised hepatic function or polypharmacy. The review identifies critical gaps in clinical evidence, especially regarding long-term safety and synergistic effects with conventional therapies and underscores the need for rigorous standardisation and patient monitoring. We describe the potential integration of fenugreek into multimodal HCC treatment strategies, if safety concerns are addressed. Future research should elucidate precise molecular targets, optimise formulations, and conduct well-controlled clinical trials to fully realise fenugreek’s therapeutic potential in HCC management.

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