Winter wheat hull (husk) is a valuable source for tricin, a potential selective cytotoxic agent

The flavone, tricin (5,7,4′-trihydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyflavone) has great potential as an anticancer agent, due to its specific chemopreventive activity. In spite of these characteristics, its use in preclinical studies is still limited, mainly because of its limited availability and high production cost. Tricin is found mainly in cereal grains, such as wheat, rice, barley, oat and maize. However, its concentration in these plants is not sufficient for commercial use. To find a reliable, rich source of tricin, we investigated its distribution in different parts of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and designed an efficient method for its isolation and purification. The highest amount (770 ± 157 mg/kg dry weight) was found in the husks of winter wheat. This concentration is one of the highest in any plant species and is considered as a cheap source of natural tricin. The purified wheat husks tricin was found to be a selective potent inhibitor of two cancer cell lines of liver and pancreas, while having no side effects on normal cells. This selective action suggests that tricin could be considered as a potential candidate for pre-clinical trials as a chemopreventive agent. In addition, fibre-rich crude wheat husk could be used as a natural chemopreventive agent in food supplement.