Actional Mechanisms of Active Ingredients in Functional Food Adlay for Human Health
Yawen Zeng,
Jiazhen Yang,
Jia Chen,
Xiaoying Pu,
Xia Li,
Xiaomeng Yang,
Li’e Yang,
Yumei Ding,
Mingying Nong,
Shibao Zhang,
Jinbao He
Affiliations
Yawen Zeng
Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Agricultural Biotechnology Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650205, China
Jiazhen Yang
Key Laboratory of the Southwestern Crop Gene Resources and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Kunming 650205, China
Jia Chen
Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Agricultural Biotechnology Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650205, China
Xiaoying Pu
Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Agricultural Biotechnology Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650205, China
Xia Li
Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Agricultural Biotechnology Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650205, China
Xiaomeng Yang
Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Agricultural Biotechnology Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650205, China
Li’e Yang
Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Agricultural Biotechnology Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650205, China
Yumei Ding
Biotechnology and Germplasm Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Agricultural Biotechnology Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650205, China
Mingying Nong
Wenshan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenshan 663099, China
Shibao Zhang
Wenshan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenshan 663099, China
Jinbao He
Wenshan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenshan 663099, China
Medicinal and food homologous adlay (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf) plays an important role in natural products promoting human health. We demonstrated the systematic actional mechanism of functional ingredients in adlay to promote human health, based on the PubMed, CNKI, Google, and ISI Web of Science databases from 1988 to 2022. Adlay and its extracts are rich in 30 ingredients with more than 20 health effects based on human and animal or cell cultures: they are anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-obesity, liver protective, anti-virus, gastroprotective, cardiovascular protective, anti-hypertension, heart disease preventive, melanogenesis inhibiting, anti-allergy, endocrine regulating, anti-diabetes, anti-cachexia, osteoporosis preventive, analgesic, neuroprotecting, suitable for the treatment of gout arthritis, life extending, anti-fungi, and detoxifying effects. Function components with anti-oxidants are rich in adlay. These results support the notion that adlay seeds may be one of the best functional foods and further reveal the action mechanism of six major functional ingredients (oils, polysaccharides, phenols, phytosterols, coixol, and resistant starch) for combating diseases. This review paper not only reveals the action mechanisms of adding adlay to the diet to overcome 17 human diseases, but also provides a scientific basis for the development of functional foods and drugs for the treatment of human diseases.
