1 Antitumor: Coixenolide enhancessusceptibility of the tumor to chemotherapeutic agent, or directly suppressesits proliferation, and regulates cellular immune status that plays an importantrole in preventing it from recurrence. The coix seed extract can induceapoptosis of human pancreatic cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependentmanner, and the mitochondria might play a significant role in the early stageof apoptosis [1-3].

2 Digestive Systemeffect: Significantly inhibited the formations of gastric ulcer inducedby water immersion strees and HCl. It could reduce the frequency of diarrheainduced by castor oil or senna in mice. It also could increase choleresis inanaesthetic rats, but it was no effect on gastro-intestinal propellent movementin mice [4].

3 Anti-obesityeffects: Induced obese rats injection of Coix seed extracts, after four weeks, itcan significantly reduce the food intake of high fat diet rats and weight loss,tumor necrosis factor mRNA expression level lower than that the normal dietgroup [5]

4 Immunological function:The water extract from Coixlachryma-jobi (WECL) capsule could obviously antagonist the immuneorgan weight loss and decrement of the number of blood cell induced bycyclophosphamide (Cy), significantly increase phagocytic percentage and phagocyticindex in PMφ,and markedly increase the contents of serum hemolysin andobviously promote the esterase positive rate of T lymphocyte. WECL can enhancethe immune function obviously, including the changes of humoral immunity, cellularimmunity and nonspecific immunity [6].

5 Hypoglycemic action:Oral administration of coixan to normal mice showed no obvious action todecrease blood glucose level. Peritoneal administration of coixan in the dosagefrom 50 to 100 mg/kg was able to decrease blood glucose level significantly innormal mice, diabetic and hyperglycemic mice (P<0.05 to P<0.01) in dosagedependent manner. Coixan is able to decrease the blood glucose level in normal,diabetic and hyperglycemic mice and its hypoglycemic action is determined bythe route of administration [7].

6 Analgesics: The water extract from Coixlachryma-jobi has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.

1. Advanced cancer: 64 cases of patients were treated with Yiyiren extract by intravenous drip. All the cases were not giving any anti cancer drugs. Results: The symptom remission rate was 18.8%, half of patients’ condition were stable. Results showed that the Yiyiren extract are helpful for the improvement of patients’ condition, keep it stable and enhance the patients’ living quality^[1].

2. Seborrheic dermatitis: Yiyiren were cooked for long term dieted that can be used to treat disease of seborrheic dermatitis and no side effect^[2].

1. Sore in the nose

2. Urticaria papulosa

3. Mammary cancer

4. Wind stroke with angophrasia, paralysis of the limbs, stagnation of large intestine, and spasm of tendons and meridians

6. Edema and acute asthma

6. Pulmonary abscess spitting purulent blood

7. Spasm of tendons and meridians, prolonged Bi syndrome due to wind and damp, stagnation of the stomach and intestines

8. Acute appendicitis

Pharmacological Actions:

[1] Chang H C, Huang Y C, Huang W C. Antipoliferative and chemopreventive effects of adlay seed on lung cancer in vitro and in vivo. Agnic Food Chem, 2003, 51 (12): 3656.

[2] Zhou-yin Shi, Tian-xiao Li, Qie-ping Wang et al., Coix seed injection in applied research in advanced liver cancer chemoembolization, cancer, 2001, 21 (3): 233.

[3] Ying Bao, Lu Xia, Hua JIang et al., Effects of Coix Seed Extract on Apoptosis and Ultrastructure of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Chin J Gastroenterol, 2005, 10 (2): 75.

[4] Ming-fa Zhang, Ya-qin Shen, Zi-ping Zhu et al., Coix Seed the pharmacological studies of the digestive system, Primary Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 1998, 12 (4): 36.

[5] Kim SO, Yun SJ, Jung B, et al. Hypolipidemic effects of crude extract of adlay seed (Coix lachrymajobi var. mayuen) in obsity rat fed high fat diet: relation of TNF-αand leptin mRNA expression and serum lipid levels. life Sci, 2004, 75 (11): 1391.

[6] Ming-san Miao, Coixan on cyclophosphamide-induced immune suppression of immune function in mice, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2002, 30 (5): 49.

[7] Zi-hui Xu, Shi-wen Zhou, Lin-ping Huang, Extraction and hypoglycemic action of a polysaccharide from the seeds of coix lacchryma-jobi var, ma-yuen, Acta Academiae Medicinae Militaris Tertiae, 2000, 22 (6): 578-580.

[8] Ming-fa Zhang, Ya-qin Shen, Zi-ping Zhu et al., Acta Academiae Medicinae Militaris Tertiae, 2000, 22 (6): 578-582.

Clinical trial:

[1] Zhang ZhiLan. Observation of recent therapeutic effect of Yiyiren extract in 64 cases with advanced cancer. Tumor, 2000,20(1):79.

[2] Liu YiFeng. Coicis Semen remedy the seborrheic dermatitis. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2008,49(3):248.