Patent ID: 8217165

Claim:
A commercially viable process for the extraction of furostanolic saponins from fenugreek seeds, in which one of the compounds in the extract is protodioscin, the said process comprising the steps of: providing plurality of fenugreek seeds and crushing the same by milling and grinding; performing a primary extraction on the prepared fenugreek seeds using a first hydrophilic polar solvent which is a lower primary aliphatic alcohol followed by ion-exchange chromatography; performing a secondary extraction after ion-exchange chromatography using a composite solvent which is a mixture of a chlorohydrocarbon and an aliphatic alcohol; decolorizing the final extract by use of activated charcoal concentration of the extract by heating and vacuum drying sieving the final powdered product wherein seeds used in the extraction process have a furostanolic saponin content of not less than 1%; the extraction process is carried out below 80 degree Celsius, wherein a final purified fraction has a furostanolic saponin content of >70% and one the identified compounds in the fraction is protodioscin at a concentration of >30%.