Symptom → Plant Sources
Corn Silk (Zea mays) as a tool for helping with Inflammation (general)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
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Corn silk (Stigma maydis) is an important herb used traditionally by the Chinese, and Native Americans to treat many diseases. It is also used as traditional medicine in many parts of the world such as Turkey, United States and France. Its potential antioxidant and healthcare applications as diuretic agent, in hyperglycemia reduction, as anti-depressant and anti-fatigue use have been claimed in several reports. Other uses of corn silk include teas and supplements to treat urinary related problems. The potential use is very much related to its properties and mechanism of action of its plant's bioactive constituents such as flavonoids and terpenoids. As such, this review will cover the research findings on the potential applications of corn silk in healthcare which include its phytochemical and pharmacological activities. In addition, the botanical description and its toxicological studies are also included.
1 source supporting Corn Silk for Inflammation (general). Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's anti-inflammatory action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Corn silk flavonoids ameliorated hyperuricemia in vivo by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/NF-kappaB inflammatory pathway and modulating urate handling, demonstrating an anti-inflammatory, uric-acid-lowering action of the flavonoid constituents.
An extract of corn silk (stigma of Zea mays) inhibited TNF-alpha- and bacterial-LPS-induced endothelial cell adhesion and ICAM-1 expression, demonstrating an anti-inflammatory mechanism of the herb.
This review systematically examines corn silk's bioactive compounds (flavonoids, polysaccharides, terpenoids, sterols) and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and metabolic-regulatory effects, supporting therapeutic potential in age-related diseases including diabetes and kidney dysfunction.
This study optimised ultrasound-assisted extraction of anti-inflammatory actives from corn silk (Zea mays) and identified COX-2-targeting compounds via machine-learning screening, characterising the anti-inflammatory constituents of the herb.