THE AMELIORATIVE EFFECT OF FENUGREEK OIL ON MECHANICAL NOCICEPTION AND GLUTATHIONE (GSH) ON VINCRISTINE-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IN FRUIT FLIES

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a major dose-limiting side effect of vincristine treatment, with limited effective therapies currently available. This study evaluated the neuroprotective effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) oil against vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN) using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Fruit flies were divided into four groups: control, vincristine-treated (0.2 mg/mL), vincristine plus fenugreek oil (5%), and vincristine plus gabapentin (10 μg/mL) as a positive control. Behavioral assay (Mechanical nociception) revealed that vincristine treatment caused significant neuropathic effects, reducing mechanical responses latency by 63% compared to controls. Co-treatment with fenugreek oil remarkably improved these parameters, Fenugreek oil restored latency to 80% of CONTROL levels (P < 0.0001 vs. VINCR). Gabapentin showed comparable efficacy to FENU (P = 0.482 between FENU/GAB). Mechanical nociception latencies in Drosophila. Data presented as mean ± SD; P < 0.0001 vs. VINCR. GSH levels were not significantly different between groups (P > 0.05), though a trend toward higher GSH in the fenugreek group was observed (↑10.1%). Notably, fenugreek oil showed superior efficacy to gabapentin in all measured parameters. These results demonstrate that fenugreek oil significantly ameliorates vincristine-induced neurotoxicity in Drosophila, potentially through its antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. The findings suggest fenugreek oil as a promising complementary therapy for chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, warranting further investigation in mammalian models and clinical settings.