Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) induced interstitial nephritis

Abstract

Herbal medicine has grabbed the public interest and there is a general belief of their safety and life compatibility. There are growing proportion of reported side effects of herbal medicine in past years. We reported a 62-year-old woman who developed acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) accompanied by autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), three weeks after daily ingestion of heat extract of fenugreek. The patient's renal, hematologic and liver panels were improved after steroid pulse therapy and fenugreek discontinuation. Fenugreek contains high amount of flavonoid which might be a main culprit for AIN and AIHA.