ANTI INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF ZEA MAYS (CORN SILK)

About Author:
Supriyo Karmakar
Department of Pharmacy
Bengal School Of Technology, Hooghly, India
Supriyo.karmakar92@gmail.com

Abstract
Plant materials have been used as medicine for a wide variety of human ailments due to increase cost of treatments, side effects of several allopathic drug and development of resistance to currently used drug for infectious disease. Cornsilk (Zea mays) is an herbal remedy made from stigmas, the yellowish thread-like strands found inside the husks of corn. Cornsilk is used to treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones in adults. Cornsilk also served as a remedy for heart trouble, jaundice, malaria, and obesity.

Reference ID: PHARMATUTOR-ART-1953

INTRODUCTION:
Plant materials have been used as medicine for a wide varity of human ailments due to increase cost of treatments, side effects of several allopathic drug and development of resistance to currently used drug for infectious disease. Ethnomedicine is a source of herbal drug being used from ancient time to present day of life. Other than ethnomedicine chinese medicine also have wide range of herbal formulation which is being used in our daily life. Sometime it is necessary to validate such medicine. In this study one of such medicinal plant is cornsilk and study on this plant is necessary because the medicinal use of this plant have not been fully ascertained in all dimensions, in chinese medicine it is mainly used in urinary tract infection and kidney stone in adult. It is also used in the treatment of jaundice, malaria, hyperthyroidism (1) & obesity. It is also useful in controlling of bleeding during child birth.

Inflammation (Latin, inflammo, "I ignite, set alight") is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The classical signs of acute inflammation are pain (dolor), heat (calor), redness (rubor), swelling (tumor), and loss of function (functio laesa). Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process. Inflammation is not a synonym for infection, even in cases where inflammation is caused by infection. Although infection is caused by a microorganism, inflammation is one of the responses of the organism to the pathogen. However, inflammation is a stereotyped response, and therefore it is considered as a mechanism of innate immunity, as compared to adaptive immunity, which is specific for each pathogen.

Without inflammation, wounds and infections would never heal. Similarly, progressive destruction of the tissue would compromise the survival of the organism. However, chronic inflammation can also lead to a host of diseases, such as hay fever, periodontitis, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer (e.g., gallbladder carcinoma). It is for that reason that inflammation is normally closely regulated by the body.

Inflammation can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is the initial response of the body to harmful stimuli and is achieved by the increased movement of plasma and leukocytes (especially granulocytes ) from the blood into the injured tissues. A cascade of biochemical events propagates and matures the inflammatory response, involving the local vascular system, the immune system, and various cells within the injured tissue. Prolonged inflammation, known as chronic inflammation, leads to a progressive shift in the type of cells present at the site of inflammation and is characterized by simultaneous destruction and healing of the tissue from the inflammatory process.

Generally two types of medicine are used to treat inflammation, steroidal and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are available in market. But, they have lots of side effects as well as adverse effects, so herbal medicines are now frequently used in the treatment of such disease, because herbal medicines have low or no side effects.

ABOUT PLANT:
Description
Cornsilk (Zea mays) is an herbal remedy made from stigmas, the yellowish thread-like strands found inside the husks of corn. The stigmas are found on the female flower of corn, a grain that is also known as maize and is a member of the grass family (Gramineae or Poaceae). The stigmas measure 4–8 in (10–20 cm) long and are collected for medicinal use before the plant is pollinated. Cornsilk can also be removed from corn cobs for use as a remedy.

If fertilized, the stigmas dry and become brown. Then yellow corn kernels develop. Corn is native to North America and now grows around the world in warm climates.

Cornsilk is also known as mother's hair, Indian corn, maize jagnog, Turkish corn, yu mi xu, and stigmata maydis.

General use
Some historians believe that corn has grown for more than 7,000 years in North America. About the time that Christopher Columbus brought the first corn to Europe, the grain grew throughout North and South America. The venerable plant's stigmas have long been used in folk medicine to treat urinary conditions including inflammation of the bladder and painful urination.

Cornsilk also served as a remedy for heart trouble, jaundice, malaria, and obesity. Cornsilk is rich in vitamin K, making it useful in controlling bleeding during childbirth. It has also been used to treat gonorrhea.

For more than a century, cornsilk has been a remedy for urinary conditions such as acute and inflamed bladders and painful urination. It was also used to treat the prostate. Some of those uses have continued into modern times; cornsilk is a contemporary remedy for all conditions of the urinary passage.

Drinking cornsilk tea is a remedy to help children stop wetting their beds, a condition known as enuresis. It is also a remedy for urinary conditions experienced by the elderly.

Cornsilk is used to treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones in adults. Cornsilk is regarded as a soothing diuretic and useful for irritation in the urinary system. This gives it added importance, since today, physicians are more concerned about the increased use of antibiotics to treat infections, especially in children. Eventually, overuse can lead to drug-resistant bacteria. Also, these drugs can cause complications in children.

Furthermore, cornsilk is used in combination with other herbs to treat conditions such as cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder), urethritis (inflammation of the urethra), and parostitis (mumps ).

Cornsilk is said to prevent and remedy infections of the bladder and kidney. The tea is also believed to diminish prostate inflammation and the accompanying pain when urinating.

Since cornsilk is used as a kidney remedy and in the regulation of fluids, the herb is believed to be helpful in treating high blood pressure and water retention. Corn-silk is also used as a remedy for edema (the abnormal accumulation of fluids).

Cornsilk is used to treat urinary conditions in countries including the United Sates, China, Haiti, Turkey, and Trinidad. Furthermore, in China, cornsilk as a component in an herbal formula is used to treat diabetes.

In addition, cornsilk has some nonmedical uses. Cornsilk is an ingredient in cosmetic face powder. The herb used for centuries to treat urinary conditions acquired another modern-day use. Cornsilk is among the ingredients in a product advertised to help people pass their drug tests.

Preparations:
Some herbalists say that cornsilk is best used when fresh, but it is also available in dried form. Cornsilk can be collected from the female flower or from corn cobs. In addition, cornsilk is available commercially in powdered and capsule form and as an extract. Cornsilk is usually brewed as a tea, a beverage that is said to be soothing.

Cornsilk tea or infusion can be made by pouring 1 cup (240 ml) of boiling water over 2 tsp (2.5 g) of dried cornsilk. The mixture is covered and steeped for 10–15 minutes. The tea should be consumed three times daily.

In addition, a tincture of 1 tsp (3-6 ml) of cornsilk can be taken three times daily. Tincture can be purchased over the counter, or made at home by mixing the herb with water or alcohol at a ratio of 1:5 or 1:10.

Cornsilk is also available in capsule form. The usual dosage for 400-mg capsules is two capsules. These are taken with meals three times daily.

A remedy for bedwetting
Herbal remedies can be part of the treatment when children wet their beds. Methods of stopping this behavior include having the child exercise during the day, drink fewer beverages in the evening, and drink a cup of cornsilk tea one hour before bedtime. Cornsilk could be the only ingredient in the tea. However, cornsilk can be part of an herbal combination if bedwetting is caused by lack of nervous control of the bladder.

Cornsilk combinations:
Corn-silk combines well with other herbs to remedy a range of urinary conditions. One remedy for a bed-wetting tea is to combine one part of corn-silk, St. John's wort, horsetail, wild oat , and lemon balm .

An herbal practitioner can recommend other combination remedies to treat more complicated conditions. For example, when a person has cystitis, corn-silk can be combined with yarrow, buchu, couchgrass, or bearberry.

Furthermore, cornsilk may be an ingredient in a commercial remedy taken to maintain the urinary tract system. Other ingredients could include yarrow and marsh mallow .

Precautions:
Corn-silk is safe when taken in proper dosages, according to sources including PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) for Herbal Medicines,, the 1998 book based on the findings of Germany's Commission E. The commission published its findings about herbal remedies in a 1997 monograph.

Before beginning herbal treatment, people should consult a physician, practitioner, or herbalist. Herbs like corn-silk are not regulated by the U.S> Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a process that involves research and testing.

If a person decides to collect fresh corn-silk, attention should be paid to whether the plants were sprayed with pesticides.

Side effects:
There are no known side effects when corn-silk is taken in designated therapeutic dosages.

Interactions:
Information is not available about whether there is an interaction when cornsilk is taken with medication. People taking medications should first check with their doctor or health practitioner before using corn-silk.

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MATERIAL AND METHODS:

PLANT:

The aerial parts of Z.mays were collected during June-July, 2011 from Gotan region of hooghly district of West Bengal, India. The species zea mays was authenticated by Dr. K. Karthigeyan Scientist C, at the Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, West Bengal, India and a voucher specimen (CNH/90C/2012/TECH.II/916 ). Just after collection, the plant material was washed thoroughly with running tap water and shade dried at room temperature (24-26 °C) and ground mechanically into a coarse powder.

REAGENTS AND INSTRUMENTS:

REAGENT:
1.petroleum ether,
2. chloroform,
3. acetone,
4. ethanol,
5.methanol and
6. water

Instrument:
1. Soxhlet Apparatus
2. Lyophilizer
3. Rotary Drier

ANIMALS:
Male albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) of the Wistar strain weighing (150-200 gm) were obtained from the animal breeding unit of Bengal School of Technology, Delhi Road, Sugandha, Hooghly 712102, India. The animals were housed in cleancages and in well-ventilated rooms (temperature, 25_18C;12-hour light=day cycle; 50_5% humidity).The animals are fed with normal rodent diet.

EXTRACTION PROCEDURE:
Five hundred grams of the powdered corn silk was extracted successively by using different solvent (petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone, ethanol, methanol and water) depending on their polarity using soxhlet apparatus. The solution obtained was dried with rotary evaporator and the weight of the residue measured. The percentage yield was calculated.

DETERMINATION OF PHYTOCONSTITUENTS:
The classes of phyto-compounds present in the extract were determined following standard procedure (9). Results are summarized and given in Table no 1

DETERMINATION OF ANTI INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTED MATERIAL:

Rat Paw Edema:
Male Wistar albino rats, weighing 150-200 g maintained under standard husbandry conditions (temperature 23±2oC, relative humidity 55±10% and 12hr light: 12 hr dark cycle) were used for all experiments. Animals were allowed to take standard laboratory feed and tap water .

The test groups treated with corn silk extracts intra-peritoneally at a concentration of 500 mg/kg of rat 30min before carrageenan injection. The control group received only the vehicle (0.2 ml of normal saline) and the positive control group received declofenac (i.p) at a concentration of 2 mg/ kg of rat. All the treatments were carried out with 3 rats in each group. Paw volume measurement was done by plethysmograph. Values are taken in cm for calculation.

The percentage of inhibition in drug treated rats test versus control was calculated using the following formula:

                         100 X (Ct – Co) Control – (Ct – Co) Treated
   % of Inhibition =    ——————————————————--
                                   (Ct – Co) Control

Where, Ct = is paw size after carrageenan injection and
Co = is paw size before carrageenan injection.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
The extraction gave a percentage yield of 20.7% (W/W).this indicates that methanol extracted most of the soluble fraction and is a good solvent for the extraction. The extract contains glycoside, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannin & volatile oil. It contains reasonable varieties of phyto compounds. It also observed that ethanolic extract does not contain any significant percentage of phyto-constituents.

Table: 1

Types Extracted fraction	ALKALOIDS	TANNINS	SAPONIN	GLYCOSIDE	FLAVONOIDS
Petroleum ether extract	Present (not significantly)	Present	Present	Present	Present
Acetone extract	Present (not significantly)	Present	Present (not significantly)	Present (not significantly)	Present (not significantly)
Ethanol extract	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
Methanol extract	present	present	present	present	present
Water Extract	Present (not significantly)	Present	Present (not significantly)	Present	Present

The extract at the studied does reduced the inflammation of normal rats. Maximum reduction occurred at 60min after administration of the methanolic extract. Other fraction does not show the significant reduction in normal rats. it also observed that activity of extract is dose dependent. From the above result we find that methanolic extract shows anti inflammatory activity but further studies are necessary to find the lethal dose and to standardize the extract or isolate the active component for adequate formulation.

Table2.

Serial no.	Body weight	Treatment	Dose	0min		15min			30min			60min			120min
				R	L	R	L		R	L		R	L		R	L
1	175gm	Methanol extract	50mg/kg	9.5	9.5	17		9.5	22.5		9.5	19		9.5	20		9.5
2	175gm	do	do	10	10	17.5		10	20		10	14.5		10	16.5		10
3	175gm	do	do	9.5	9.5	13.5		9.5	19		9.5	16.5		9.5	15.5		9.5
Mean				9.6	9.6	16		9.6	20.5		9.6	16.6		9.6	17.3		9.6
% diff in R& L				0		40			53			42			44
4	150gm	declofenac	2mg/kg	8	8	27.3		8	20.5		8	15		8	16		8
5	150gm	do	do	11	11	22.5		11	25.8		11	18		11	16.5		11
Mean				9.5	9.5	24.5		9.5	23.15		9.5	16.5		9.5	16.25		9.5
% diff in R& L				0		61			58			45			41.5
6	225gm	Saline water	0.5ml	13		18.5			29			21			19

As per the above result it is here concluded that the test drug have the percentage of inhibition of 13%, 29%, 19% & 8.9% for 15min, 30 min, 60min, & 120min respectively.

CONCLUSION
Based on the result, it can be concluded that the methnolic extract of Zea mays has shown the most pronounced anti-inflammatory effect on rat paw oedema. So the plant Zea mays possesses a competent antiimflammatoy activity. Further detailed investigation may confirm the utility profile of this drug.

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