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Family Gramineae
Katigbi
Coix lachryma Linn.
JOB'S TEARS

Ma-yuen

Other scientific names Common names  
Coix agrestis Lour. Abukai (Iv.) Katayan (Ig.) 
Coix exaltata Jacq. Adlai (Bis.)  Katigbi (C. Bis.) 
  Agagai (Iv.) Kibaoung (If.) 
  Agda (Ig.)  Koldasan (Bik.)
  Aglai (C. Bis.)  Kudlasan (Tag.) 
  Alimudias (P. Bis.)  Lamudias (P. Bis.)
  Apagi (Ig.) Lias (Sub.) 
  Atakai (Ilk., Bon.) Paias (P. Bis., Bag.) 
  Balantakan (Pamp.)  Pintaka (C. Bis.)
  Barubaioko (Bik.) Tidbi (S. L. Bis.) 
  Bintikai (Bik.)   Tigbi (Bik., Tag.) 
  Bitogan (Bag.)  Tigbikai (Bik.)
  Daldi (Sub.)  TIguas (Sul,) 
  Damdu (C. Bis.)  Tikaian (Bon.)
  Glias (Sub.)  Coix Seed (Engl.) 
  Kalabugau (Buk.)  Job's tears (Engl.) 
  Kambot (Ting.) Ma-yuen (Chin.) 

Botany
Katigbi is a plant growing 1-2 meters high. Stem is erect, branched and stout. Leaves are 10-40 cm long, 2.5 -4 cm wide, with a broad and cordate base. Spikes are 6-10 cm long, erect, and peduncloed. Male spikelets are about 8 mm long. Capsules (fruits) enclosing the female flowers and grains are hard, bony, white, or nearly black, shiny, ovoid, about 8 mm longh.

Distribution
Common in settled areas, at low and medium altitudes.



Constituents

• The grain contains a protein , prolamin, with a high percentage of leucine, tyrosine, glutamic acid, and basic amino acids arginine, histidine, and lysine.
• Extracts have yieled coixenolides, attributed antitumor activity.
• Study isolated 6 benzoxazinoids from the roots of CL

Properties
• Grain starch is tonic.
• Fruit considered antiinflammatory, antipyretic, antiseptic, antitumor, antispasmodic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, vermifuge.
• Seed considered antirheumatic, diuretic, tonic.
• Seeds considered to be nutritious, demulcent, cooling, perctoral, antihelmintic.


Parts utilized
Roots, seeds.

Uses
Culinary
- Chief value of the plant is the edibility of the fruit. Grains are nutritious, with a higher content of protein compared to rice.
- Tea from the parched seeds.
- Coffee from the roasted seeds.
- Beer and wine from fermented grains.
Folkloric
Decoction of the root has been used for gonorrhea; also, as vermifuge for children.
Starch from the grain used as tonic as restorative in convalescence.
Tea from boiled seeds drunk for treatment of warts. Also used for lung absecesses, appendicitis, rheumatoid arthritis, dysuria.
Seeds precribed for blenorrhagia.
In India, roots used for menstrual disorders.
In Liberia, juice from the stem used as drops for eye irritation secondary to injury.
Seeds have been used as anti-inflammatory medicine.
In Mexico, decoction or infusion of leaves used for diabetes.
In Japan and China, spirit from seeds used for rheumatic affections.
In China, used for cancer treatment (30-60 gm of coix, with glutinous rice as gruel, daily, year round. Also used for dysfunctions of the endocrine system.
In Chinese traditional medicine, used for spleen invigoration, diarrhea, oliguria, edema, beriberi, appendicitis and warts. Also, used as food for the dyspeptic.
In Europe, tincture or decoction of seed use for catarrhal afflictions of the air passages.
In Japan, used for warts.

Others

The berries as strung as beads for rosaries and decorative for curtains, bags, trays, necklaces, etc.
Beads for decorative use.
Stems for matting.


Studies
Antitumor: Components isolated from the Chinese herbal medicine Coix lachryma-jobi showed antitumor activity attributed to the acidic fraction which was composed of four free fatty acids: palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids.
Antiinflammatory:
(1) Inhibitory effects of methanol extract of seeds of Job's Tears (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen) on nitric oxide and superoxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages: Results showed the methanol seed extract of seeds of CL showed antiinflammatory properties which may involved the inhibition of NO and O2 production by activated macrophages. (2) Study on the antiinflammatory activities of six benzoxazinoids from roots of Coix lachryma-jobi var. Ma-yuen showed the free hydroxyl group in the benzoxazinone skeleton involved in the expression of inhibitory activity.
Progesterone Production Inhibition:
Study suggested decrease of progesterone production via mechanisms involving the inhibition of cAMP pathway, enzyme activities and protein expressions in rat granulosa cells.
Cytotoxicity / Anti-Viral: In a study of its in vivo effects on healthy volunteers, showed the Coix seeds increase peripheral cytotoxic lymphocytes and may be effective to viral infection through enhancement of cytotoxic activity.
Macrophage Toxoplasmastatic Activity: Resuts of study of water extract of seeds suggest that some components other than the non-proteinous and defatted components in Coix lacryma seeds may contribute to activate macrophages through induction of NO for the biostatic activity.
Osteoporosis Prevention: Results of study of the water extract of adlay seed suggest it may be capable of reversiing the osteoporotic status in rats and may be a helpful healthy food for osteoporosis prevention.
Abortifactient / Embryotoxicity: Results indicate the water extracts of adlay seeds are capable of inducing embryotoxicity and enhancing uterine contractility during pregnancy, possibly through the enhanced activities of PKC-alpha, ERK1/2 and COX-2.

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Last Update April 2011

Photos © Godofredo Stuart / StuartXchange

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Coix lacryma-jobi / Plants For A Future
(2)
Antitumor components isolated from the Chinese herbal medicine Coix lachryma-jobi / NUMATA M. et al /Planta medica / 1994, vol. 60, no4, pp. 356-359
(3)
COIX: FOOD AND MEDICINE / Subhuti Dharmananda, PhD
(4)
Inhibitory effects of methanol extract of seeds of Job's Tears (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen) on nitric oxide and superoxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. / Seo WG, Pae HO, Chai KY, Yun YG, Kwon TH, Chung HT / Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2000 Aug;22(3):545-54.
(5)

Effects of Adlay (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf.) Hull Extracts on the Secretion of Progesterone and Estradiol In Vivo and In Vitro / Experimental Biology and Medicine 232:1181-1194 (2007) / doi: 10.3181/0612-RM-306
(6)

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Benzoxazinoids from Roots of Coix lachryma-jobi var. Ma-yuen
/ Hideaki Otsuka, Yuko Hirai, Tsuneatsu Nagao, Kazuo Yamasaki / J. Nat. Prod., 1988, 51 (1), pp 74–79 / DOI: 10.1021/np50055a009
(7)
Progress in pharmacodynamics and clinical studies of active components of Coix Seed (Semen Coicis) and its preparation - Kanglaite Injection (KLT) / Li Dapeng
(8)
Chinese medicine, Coix seeds increase peripheral cytotoxic T and NK cells / Yoh Hidaka, Tatsunari Kaneda et al / Biotherapy, Volume 5, Number 3 / October, 1992 / DOI 10.1007/BF02171052
(9)
Biostatic activity of Coix lacryma seed extract on Toxoplasma gondii in macrophages / Chin-Thack Soh, Sook-Hyaiig Kim et al / The Korean Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 34, No. 3, 197-206, September 1996
(10)
Evaluation of osteoporosis prevention by adlay using atissue culture model / Rong Sen Yang MD, Wenchang Chiang et al / Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2008;17(S1):143-146
(11)
The abortifacient effects from the seeds of Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf. / Tzeng HP, Chiang W et al / J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2005 Sep;68(17-18):1557-65


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