Omnia SanaPlant Comparison
Figwort vs Corn Silk
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Figwort and Corn Silk: they share 6 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, inflammation (general), skin irritation, …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Figwort | Corn Silk | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Inflammation (general) | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Skin irritation | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Swelling / fluid retention | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Urinary support | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Urinary tract infection (UTI) | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
Anti-inflammatory constituents; harpagoside also has cardiac (inotropic) activity.
Supporting antioxidant constituents.
Major antioxidant constituents of corn silk; maysin is the predominant flavonoid quantified in standardised extracts.
Contribute to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Pharmacological Actions
Mild diuretic and lymphatic 'detoxifying' herb (traditional); Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
Antispasmodic / smooth-muscle relaxant (preclinical - an extract relaxed isolated intestinal smooth muscle, apparently via muscarinic receptors)
Mild diuretic and lymphatic 'detoxifying' herb (traditional)
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from alterative action
Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antispasmodic action
Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
Anti-inflammatory; soothes inflamed, irritated skin; Traditional 'alterative' for chronic skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, rashes (as a poultice, salve or tea)
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
Soothing demulcent for urinary-tract irritation and mild urinary infections; supports kidney function
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from demulcent action
Diuretic - increases urine output to support the urinary tract and mild fluid retention/swelling; in conscious rats the aqueous extract is diuretic and kaliuretic and modifies glomerular filtration and potassium excretion
inferred from diuretic action
Diuretic - increases urine output to support the urinary tract and mild fluid retention/swelling; in conscious rats the aqueous extract is diuretic and kaliuretic and modifies glomerular filtration and potassium excretion; Soothing demulcent for urinary-tract irritation and mild urinary infections; supports kidney function
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Avoid if you have a heart condition or take cardiac medicines: figwort's harpagoside has a stimulating (inotropic) effect on the heart, so it is traditionally avoided with rapid heartbeat or heart disease.
Avoid during pregnancy. There is insufficient reliable evidence on the safety of taking figwort by mouth, so internal use should be cautious and short-term.
As a diuretic it should be taken with plenty of fluids; use caution alongside prescription diuretics or medicines that affect potassium.
May lower blood sugar and blood pressure, so use caution with antidiabetic or antihypertensive medication; avoid concentrated medicinal doses in pregnancy - a high-dose standardised extract increased pre-implantation losses in pregnant rats (no fetal malformations were seen).
External Ids
Botanical Description
Tall perennial herb (Scrophulariaceae), 50-100 cm (occasionally more), with a distinctly square stem. Leaves are opposite, ovate, toothed and unpleasant-smelling. Small, dull maroon-brown, two-lipped flowers are borne in loose, branched clusters (cymes), followed by small dry seed capsules.[11]
Tall, robust annual grass with broad, strap-like leaves and a stout, jointed stem. Male flowers form a terminal tassel; female flowers develop on the ear (cob), each floret bearing a single long, silky style and stigma ('corn silk') that protrudes from the husk to catch pollen.[11]
Habitat
Native to Europe and western Asia, growing in damp woods, hedge banks, ditches and shady waste ground on moist, nutrient-rich soils.[11]
Cultivated worldwide as a major cereal food crop in warm-temperate to tropical climates on fertile, well-drained soils; not found wild, having been domesticated from a wild grass ancestor (teosinte) in Mesoamerica.[11]
Harvesting
Aerial parts are cut during flowering (summer); the root can also be dug in autumn.[11]
The silky stigmas and styles are collected from the ears in mid- to late summer, just before or as pollination occurs, while still fresh and pale, then dried quickly to preserve colour and flavonoid content.[11]
Traditional Uses
Figwort takes one common name, 'scrofula plant', from its historic traditional use for scrofula (tuberculous lymph-node swelling) under the Doctrine of Signatures, its knotty root resembling swollen glands. It has a long folk-medicine reputation as an 'alterative' (blood-purifying) herb for chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, applied as a poultice, salve or tea.[11, 12]
Corn silk has a long traditional use across Chinese, Native American and European folk medicine as a gentle diuretic and soothing demulcent for urinary tract complaints, mild fluid retention and kidney support.[11]
Preparations
Dried corn silk infused in hot water as a traditional diuretic and urinary-support tea.
Dosage
Traditional guidance suggests roughly 2-4 g dried herb per cup as an infusion, taken cautiously and short-term given limited safety data and the cardioactive harpagoside content. Educational reference only, not a prescription; avoid with heart conditions/cardiac medicines and in pregnancy.
Not documented
References
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
Not documented
References & Sources
- Stevenson, P.C., Simmonds, M.S.J., Sampson, J., Houghton, P.J. and Grice, P (2002) 'Wound healing activity of acylated iridoid glycosides from Scrophularia nodosa', Phytotherapy Research, 16(1), pp. 33-35. doi:10.1002/ptr.798 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.798 - Ahmad, M., Muhammad, N., Mehjabeen, Jahan, N. and others (2012) 'Biological screening of Scrophularia nodosa extract and its fractions', Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 25(2), pp. 307-313. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Biological%20screening%20of%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20extract%20and%20its%20fractions - Miyase, T. and Mimatsu, A (1999) 'Acylated iridoid and phenylethanoid glycosides from the aerial parts of Scrophularia nodosa', Journal of Natural Products, 62(8), pp. 1079-1084. doi:10.1021/np9805746 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/np9805746 - Sesterhenn, K., Distl, M. and Wink, M (2006) 'Occurrence of iridoid glycosides in in vitro cultures and intact plants of Scrophularia nodosa L', Plant Cell Reports, 26(3), pp. 365-371. doi:10.1007/s00299-006-0233-3 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0233-3 - Soualeh, N., Stiévenard, A., Baudelaire, E., Bouayed, J. and Soulimani, R (2019) 'Powders with small microparticle size from Hedera helix and Scrophularia nodosa exhibited high preventive antioxidant activity against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in mouse primary spleen cells', International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 88(3-4), pp. 208-218. doi:10.1024/0300-9831/a000526 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000526 - Papp, N., Czégényi, D., Tóth, M., Dénes, T. and others (2022) 'Ethnomedicine survey on folk dermatology in Transylvania, Romania', Clinics in Dermatology, 40(6), pp. 651-664. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2022.07.013 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2022.07.013 - Soulimani, R., Dicko, A., Baudelaire, E. and Bouayed, J (2021) 'Increased anti-inflammatory activity and enhanced phytochemical concentrations in superfine powders obtained by controlled differential sieving process from four medicinal plants', International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 93(4), pp. 339-351. doi:10.1024/0300-9831/a000739 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000739 - Ohiienko, T., Kutsyk, R., Kurovets, L., Ohiienko, S. and others (2023) 'Screening of medicinal and aromatic plants extracts for the synergism with fluconazole against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis fungi associated with denture stomatitis', Wiadomosci Lekarskie, 76(7), pp. 1615-1620. doi:10.36740/WLek202307115 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.36740/WLek202307115 - Leclerc, H (1949) '[The scrofular, Scrophularia nodosa L.]', Revue de Phytotherapie, 13(87), pp. 381-383. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%5BThe%20scrofular%2C%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20L.%5D - Akerreta, S., Cavero, R.Y. and Calvo, M.I (2007) 'First comprehensive contribution to medical ethnobotany of Western Pyrenees', Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 3, pp. 26. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-3-26 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-3-26 - Medicinal Herbals (n.d.) 'Figwort (Scrophularia nodosa): The Natural Skin Healer'. Available at: https://medicinalherbals.net/figwort-scrophularia-nodosa-natural-skin-healer/ Traditional / reference
https://medicinalherbals.net/figwort-scrophularia-nodosa-natural-skin-healer/ - WebMD (n.d.) 'Figwort: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions'. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-446/figwort Traditional / reference
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-446/figwort - Ahmad, M., Muhammad, N., Mehjabeen, Jahan, N., Ahmad, M., Obaidullah, Qureshi, M. and Jan, S.U (2012) 'Spasmolytic effects of Scrophularia nodosa extract on isolated rabbit intestine', Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 25(1), pp. 267--275. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Spasmolytic%20effects%20of%20Scrophularia%20nodosa%20extract%20on%20isolated%20rabbit%20intestine - First Nature 'Scrophularia nodosa, Common Figwort'. Available at: https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/scrophularia-nodosa.php Traditional / reference
https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/scrophularia-nodosa.php - Berdai, M.A. and Labib, S. and Chetouani, K. and Harandou, M (2012) 'Atropa belladonna intoxication: a case report', Pan African Medical Journal, 11, pp. 72. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22655106/ Clinical study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22655106/ - Oerlemans, C. and de Vries, I. and van Riel, A.J.H.P (2017) 'Anticholinergic syndrome caused by contaminated herbal tea; acting swiftly to identify the source', Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, 161, pp. D1261. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28612694/ Clinical study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28612694/
- Zhang, Y., Wu, L., Ma, Z., Cheng, J. and Liu, J (2018) 'Corn silk (Zea mays L.), a source of natural antioxidants with alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, advanced glycation and diabetic nephropathy inhibitory activities', Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 110, pp. 510-517. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2018.11.126 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.11.126 - Wang, Y. and others (2023) 'Corn Silk Flavonoids Ameliorate Hyperuricemia via PI3K/AKT/NF-kappaB Pathway', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 71(26), pp. 9968-9979. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.3c03422 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c03422 - Habtemariam, S (1998) 'Extract of corn silk (stigma of Zea mays) inhibits the tumour necrosis factor-alpha- and bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced cell adhesion and ICAM-1 expression', Planta Medica, 64(4), pp. 314-318. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957441 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-957441 - Chen, M.Y., Wu, J.M. and others (2025) 'Unlocking Corn Silk's Potential: Bioactive Compounds Targeting Age-Related Diseases', Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 69(10), pp. e70117. doi:10.1002/mnfr.70117 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.70117 - Li, Y. and others (2023) 'Diterpenoid and phenolic constituents from corn silk (Zea mays) with PTP1B inhibitory activity', Natural Product Research, 37(24), pp. 4189-4196. doi:10.1080/14786419.2023.2265038 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2023.2265038 - Wang, B. and others (2019) 'Corn Silk (Zea mays) Induced Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer (MCF-7) Cells via the ROS-Mediated Mitochondrial Pathway', Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2019, pp. 9789241. doi:10.1155/2019/9789241 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9789241 - Guo, J. and others (2024) 'Extraction, purification, structural characteristics, and pharmacological activities of the polysaccharides from corn silk: A review', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 274, pp. 133433. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133433 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133433 - Li, X. and others (2025) 'Ultrasound-assisted extraction of anti-inflammatory actives from corn silk (Zea mays L.): Process optimization, machine learning screening, and interaction mechanisms', Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 118, pp. 107420. doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2025.107420 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2025.107420 - Wang, Y. and others (2024) 'An Umbrella Insight into the Phytochemistry Features and Biological Activities of Corn Silk: A Narrative Review', Molecules, 29(4), pp. 891. doi:10.3390/molecules29040891 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040891 - Zhang, W. and others (2023) 'Acidic polysaccharide from corn silk: Structural & conformational properties and hepatoprotective activity', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 237, pp. 123851. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123851 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123851 - Hasanudin, K., Hashim, P. and Mustafa, S (2012) 'Corn Silk (Stigma Maydis) in Healthcare: A Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review', Molecules. doi:10.3390/molecules171112937 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules171112937 - Caixeta, G.A.B. and dos Santos Reis, D. and Soares, K.I. and de Brito Ramos, I. and Mendes, G.H.L. and others (2025) 'Toxicological Assessment of a Standardized Dry Extract of Zea mays L. (Poaceae) Stigmas During Gestation: Effects on Maternal Parameters and Fetal Outcomes in Wistar Rats', Birth Defects Research, 117(9). doi:10.1002/bdr2.2526 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.2526 - Velazquez, D.V.O. and Xavier, H.S. and Batista, J.E.M. and de Castro-Chaves, C (2005) 'Zea mays L. extracts modify glomerular function and potassium urinary excretion in conscious rats', Phytomedicine, 12(5), pp. 363--369. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2003.12.010 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2003.12.010
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.