An annual herbaceous plant up to 3 m tall. The stems are firm, fleshy, not hollow. The leaves are long-lanceolate, ciliate along the edge. The flowers are unisexual, both male and female develop on the same plant. Male inflorescences are spreading panicles at the tops of the stems, female ones are in the form of an ear, emerging from the axils of the leaves on the middle part of the stem, dressed with vaginal leaves. During flowering, the stigmas of flowers hang down from the vaginal leaves. Blooms in July. The fruit is a grain of yellow, reddish or greenish color.
Medicinal raw materials are columns of female flowers together with stigmas (or stigmas). The stigmas are collected during the milky-wax ripeness of the cobs in late August-September. The stigmas are torn off or, better, cut from the ears, dried immediately after harvest, so as not to turn black in the shade. The storage period is 1-2 years.
Essential oils (up to 0.12%), fatty oil (up to 2.5%), a gum-like substance (up to 3.8%), ascorbic acid, vitamin K, inosid, also cryptoxanthin, sitosterol, etc. were found in the stigmas of corn. .
In medical practice, corn stigmas are used as a tincture or liquid extract as a choleretic, diuretic and hemostatic agent. It has been established that when these products are taken orally, the secretion of bile increases, its viscosity and specific gravity decrease, the content of bilirubin decreases, and in addition, the process of blood coagulation accelerates, while the content of prothrombin and the number of platelets in the blood increase.
The main indications for the use of corn stigma products are inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), inflammation of the biliary tract (cholangitis) and liver diseases accompanied by delayed bile secretion. Corn preparations, along with vitamin K products, can be used for bleeding associated with a decrease in prothrombin. Assign them in the form of a decoction, infusion (1:20) or liquid extract.
Preparations of corn stigmas contribute to the dissolution of stones (in the kidneys or in the bladder), they are also a tonic and choleretic agent; take them for jaundice.
In folk medicine, stigmas are used as a hemostatic agent, they are used along with vitamin K products (pepper mountaineer, kidney mountaineer, cat’s foot dioecious, etc.) mainly for hypoprothrombinemia, as a diuretic – for cystitis, kidney stones, bladder stones , dropsy; as a regulating, soothing pain remedy; stigmas collected during flowering and digested with honey are taken for pulmonary tuberculosis and cardiac edema.
Medicinal and corn oil. It is useful for people with liver diseases, and later, due to the likelihood of lowering the amount of cholesterol in the blood, it is recommended for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
Application
Decoction 1: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of crushed corn stigmas (10 g) is poured with cold water (1.5 cups), boiled for 30 minutes in a sealed container, filtered after cooling. Take 2-3 tbsp. spoons after 3-4 hours with cholelithiasis and urolithiasis.
Decoction 2: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of raw materials with 1.5 cups of cold water, boil for 70 minutes, take after straining in a chilled form, 1-2 tbsp. spoons 4 times every day (choleretic).
Extract: 20%; 30-40 drops 2-3 times every day before meals.
Infusion is more effective than decoction: 30 g per 200 ml of water, 1 tbsp. spoon 6 times every day.