Planta Med 2010; 76 - P109
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1264407

Immunomodulatory activity of adlay bran and its phenolic components

H Chen 1, Y Lin 2, W Chiang 1
  • 1Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, 106 Taipei, Taiwan
  • 2Natl Res Inst of Chin Med, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, No.155–1, Sec.2, Li-Nong St., 112 Taipei, Taiwan

Adlay (Chinese pearl barley, soft-shelled Job's tears, Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf) is a grass crop that has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine and as a nourishing food. Under the β-hexosaminodase release from RBL-2H3 stimulated with A23187-guided fractionation, a series of flavonoids: 3,5,7,4′-tetramethoxyflavone, 3,5,7,3′,4′-pentamethoxyflavone, 5,6,7,8,4′-pentamethoxyflavone, 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone, 5,6,7,8,3′,4′-hexamethoxyflavone, parvisoflavone, formononetin, isoliquiritigenin, liquiritigenin, homoeriodictyol, 5,7,3′-trihydroxy-4-methoxyflavanone, 4,2′,4′-trihydroxychalcone, 4,2′,4′-trihydroxydihydrochalcone and a new aurone derivative, and two chromones: 5-hydroxy-7-methoxychromone and 5,7-dihydroxychromone were isolated from the active fraction.

Fig.1

Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic data analysis, including 1D and 2D-NMR. All of them are the first isolates from adlay bran and LC/MS analysis was used as a quality control platform.