Headspace analysis of volatiles from commercial seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. obtained from four Middle Eastern countries

Trigonella foenum-graecum L. commonly known as fenugreek, is an important economic and medicinal plant cultivated in various regions of the world. Fenugreek produces several important active chemical constituents that determine its pharmacological properties. The aim of this research was to analyze the volatile constituents spontaneously emitted by eight samples of fenugreek seeds purchased from different Middle Eastern drugstores, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, and Iran. A total of 70 constituents belonging to different chemical classes, including monoterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, phenylpropanoids, apocarotenes, nitrogen/sulfur derivatives, and non-terpene derivatives, were characterized in the volatile emissions of the eight samples, some components with significant olfactory properties were detected such as γ-nonalactone, cumin aldehyde, (E)-cinnamaldehyde, p-anisaldehyde, and eugenol. PCA showed two macro-clusters; the first comprised two sub-groups, while the second included only Yemeni samples. The findings of this study demonstrate that the significant variation for volatile profiles in fenugreek samples which are prone to variations in the geographical origin of these samples.