Bioactive pterocarpans from Trigonella foenum-graecum L

•One new pterocarpan was isolated from T. foenum-graecum.•Nine active pterocarpans were isolated from the plant for the first time.•Antioxidant activity of one pterocarpan is stronger than vitamin C.•Nine pterocarpans showed stronger anti-inflammatory activity than indomethacin.•Pterocarpans are main bioactive components of this edible plant. Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) is used as a leafy vegetable and spice in China and North African countries. However, the biochemical components of its aerial parts were rarely explored. In this study, the bioactivities of the various extract fractions from the aerial parts of this edible plant were assessed, the ethyl acetate extract fraction exhibited strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Through bioassay-guided isolation, one new pterocarpan (1), as well as twelve known pterocarpans (2–13) were obtained, nine of them (5–13) were first reported in the fenugreek, four pterocarpans (9, 11–13) had strong antioxidant activity, eleven pterocarpans (1–3, 5–12) possessed obvious anti-inflammatory activity. This study indicates that pterocarpans are main bioactive components of this edible plant. Apart from its nutritional value as food, the aerial parts of this plant can also be further explored as functional foods or antioxidants in food industry.