Introduction & Objective : Diabetes mellitus is a disease with a long history. Attempts to relieve the symptoms have not been totally successful. The seeds of Trigonella foenum have been shown to possess hypoglycemic properties. In this study hypoglycemic effect of the carbon tetra chloride (CCL₄) extract of these seeds has been investigated.

Materials & Methods : Using Wistar rats, diabetes was induced by intravenous injections of 100 mg/kg of STZ in three doses divided over three consecutive days. The extract was prepared by the maceration method and administered orally in different doses. Blood samples were collected and serum glucose was measured by the O-toloidin method.

Results : The results indicated that the extract can reduce serum glucose in a dose dependent manner (r=0.44, P=0.00) and the maximum effect occurred with a dose of 4g/kg. With this dose, serum glucose concentration was reduced from 547±44 to 345±35 mg/dl (P=0.0000001).

Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the CCL₄ extract of trigonella foenum seeds have anti-diabetic effect, when it is introduced orally. The purification and formulation of its effective substance (s) for therapeutic purposes deserves consideration.