CORN SILK

Chemical Properties

Corn silk is the fresh style and stigmas of Zia mays L., collected when the corn is in milk. The filaments are extracted with dilute ethanol to produce corn silk extract.

Composition

Corn silk is rich in potassium salts. Other constituents are 12% polyphenoles (tannins), flavonoids, lipids (about 2% fatty oils), 3.8% gums, 2.7% resin, 3.2% saponines, 1.2% butter glycosides, possibly up to 0.85% alkaloids, vitamins C and K, sitosterol, stigmasterol, plant acids, anthocyanins, reducing sugars, glucides, 0.1 to 0.2% essential oil with 18% carvacrol and other terpenes, mucilage (CoE, 2000).