Job's tears

Overview

Job's Tears were originally from tropical Asia. In the Malay archipelago, the greatest diversity is contained. In Africa and the Southern United States and the tropics of the New World, it has been naturalized. Job's tears were very commonly cultivated as a cereal in India before corn became widespread in Southern Asia.

Vernacular Names

Jali (Indonesia), Batak (Malaysia), Kaurimani (India), Hatomugi (Japanese), Chuan Gu (Chinese), Larmes De Job (French), Hiobstraene (German), Jobstranen (Dutch).

Agroecology

Job's Tears grows best in a sunny place, moisten areas of the tropics, and at elevations up to 2,000 meters. It is tolerant to annual precipitation range of 610 – 4,290 mm with an average annual temperature 9.6 to 27.8 °C and a pH of 4.5 to 8.4. Succeeds in common garden soil, but when grown in relatively fertile conditions, the best results are obtained. A little shelter from the wind is desired. In certain places, the plant is used as a weed.

Morphology

• Stems - straight and branching in the upper part.
• Leaves - sheaths are glabrous and the leaf blades are narrowly lanceolate, 20–50 cm by 1.5–4 cm. The midrib is prominent.
• Flowers - inflorescences in axils of upper leaves, solitary or 2–7-fascicled and arranged panicle-like, on 3–6 cm long peduncle, consisting of separate pistillate and staminate racemes.
• Fruits - tear-shaped, 8 mm by 1.1 cm, with glossy berries which turn black upon maturity.
• Seeds - white to whitish-blue.

Cultivation

• Propagation is typically carried out by seed, but after harvesting, the stubble may be left in the field and will regrow. Although commonly grown as an annual, in virtually frost-free areas, the plant is perennial.
• It takes about 4-5 months to produce new seeds after seeding.
• Job’s tear succeeds in ordinary garden soil and are best grown in an open sunny border. It prefers a little shelter from the wind. The average annual temperature of 41 to 50°F and a pH in the range of 4.5 to 8.4. 

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, steroids, coixenolides, tocopherol, tocotrienol, dodecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid and dihydroxypropylester.

Seed contains 50–79% Starch, 16–19% Proteins, 2–7% Fixed Oil, Lipids (5.67% Glycolipids, 1.83% Phospholipids, Sterols, Fatty Acids such as Palmitic acid, Stearic acid, Oleic acid and Linoleic acids, Trace Minerals, Stigmasterol and Campesterol. Coixenolide and Coixol  have been isolated from the fixed oil. Root contains bioactive Benzoxazinone compounds (Patel et al, 2017).

Traditional Medicinal Uses

Medicinal Uses

• The fruits are anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antiseptic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, sedative, vermifuge, and antispasmodic.
• The seeds are antirheumatic, diuretic, pectoral, tonic, and refrigerant.
• Antitumor activity attributed to the acid fraction was demonstrated by Job's tears.

Traditional Uses

• The roots have been used in the treatment of menstrual disorders. An anthelmintic has been used as a decoction of the root.
• The kernels are used to treat the lungs and chest, rheumatism, dropsy, and gonorrhea.
• The fruit is used for intestinal or pulmonary cancers and warts, and also used for hypertension and as a vermifuge.
• The seed is diuretic and refrigerant, a decoction is used for appendicitis, asthma, beriberi, bronchitis, cancer, diarrhoea, dryskin, dysuria, oedema, hydrothorax, inflammation, pleurisy, pneumonia, pulmonary abscesses, rheumatism, and tuberculosis. Seeds are also used to treat enteritis, childhood chronic diarrhea, urinary lithiasis, acrodynia, and rheumatism.
• The root is given for fever with drying of saliva and extreme thirst, dysentery, diarrhoea and puerperal fever, and roots of long pepper and other herbs.