In Vitro effect if trigonelline on the erythrocyte aggregation in a model of diabetes

Introduction: In the last few decades, a large number of medicinal plants popularly used for the treatment of diabetes have been studied around the world (Chang et al., 2013). The chemical characterization of plant components and the biological, pharmacological or toxicological activity of different plant extracts have been well studied; however, more research is necessary on the relationship between phytochemical components and their specific therapeutic action. Trigonelline is an alkaloid present in the leaves of Bauhinia sp., popularly known as “cow-hoof”, and also in coffee and fenugreek seeds, which were used as an antidiabetic treatment by ancient civilizations. It has been found to reduce hyperglycemia, both in animals and humans, to protect pancreatic β-cells, and to increase the rate of insulin sensitivity (Toloza-Zambrano et al., 2015).