Anticancer effects and the mode of action of dichloromethane fraction from the
methanol extract of defatted Coix lachryma-jobi (adlay) were studied. Adlay was
defatted with hexane and extracted with methanol. The methanol soluble fraction of the
defatted adlay was further fractionated with dichloromethane, ethylacetate, butanol and
water. Dichloromethane fraction that exhibited the highest antimutagenic and anticancer
activities was chosen to investigate the further anticancer effects and the mode of
action. Dichloromethane fraction inhibited the growth of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231
human breast carcinoma cells and the morphological changes of the cancer cells were
observed. Also, dichloromethane fraction arrested G2/M phase in the MCF-7 human
breast carcinoma cell cycle and induced apoptosis of HL-60 human leukemia cells.

Keywords: Coix lachryma-jobi (adlay), Anticancer, Cell cycle, Apoptosis