4-Hydroxyisoleucine an unusual amino acid as antidyslipidemic and antihyperglycemic agent

Trigonella foenum-graecum, commonly known as fenugreek, is an annual herbaceous plant. From the seeds of T. foenum-graecum an unusual amino acid, 4-hydroxyisoleucine 5, has been isolated, which significantly decreased the plasma triglyceride levels by 33% (P < 0.002), total cholesterol (TC) by 22% (P < 0.02), and free fatty acids by 14%, accompanied by an increase in HDL–C/TC ratio by 39% in the dyslipidemic hamster model.