Stigma Maydis
Aliases：Yù Shǔ Shǔ Xū (Jade-Sorghum Beard); Yù Mǐ Xū Zi (Corn Silk Particle); Bāo Gǔ Xū (Maize Beard); Bāo Mǐ Xū (Wrapped Rice Beard); Bàng Zi Xū (Cob Beard); Yù Mài Xū (Jade Wheat Beard).
Yù Mǐ Xū (Corn Silk) is a Chinese medicinal herb. It refers to the style and stigma of Zea mays L., a plant of the Poaceae family. It is generally harvested in autumn when the corn matures, then dried in the sun or by heat. Corn silk has a long history of medicinal use and was recorded in the “Dian Nan Ben Cao” (Yunnan Materia Medica). It is commonly boiled in water and drunk as a tea by the public, earning it the name “Dragon Whisker Tea.”
Efficacy & Actions
Promotes diuresis and reduces edema, clears the liver and benefits the gallbladder, lowers blood pressure, and lowers blood sugar.
Indications
Used for edema, dysuria, stranguria, jaundice, hypertension, and diabetes; also used for cholecystitis, gallstones, nephritis, chyluria, and other conditions.
Modern Pharmacology
Diuretic Effect: Corn silk decoction significantly increases urine output with a mild and sustained diuretic effect, and it provides protective effects on the kidneys. Antihypertensive Effect: Corn silk extracts dilate peripheral blood vessels and lower blood pressure, offering adjunctive treatment for hypertension. Hypoglycemic Effect: Corn silk polysaccharides and flavonoids lower blood glucose levels and improve insulin resistance, providing adjunctive benefit for type 2 diabetes. Choleretic Effect: Corn silk promotes bile secretion and excretion, reduces bile viscosity, and helps prevent and treat gallstones. Anti-inflammatory Effect: Corn silk extracts have inhibitory effects on various models of inflammation. Antioxidant Effect: Corn silk is rich in flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other antioxidant components, which scavenge free radicals and delay aging. Antitumor Effect: Corn silk polysaccharides have inhibitory effects on certain tumor cells. Immunomodulatory Effect: Corn silk polysaccharides enhance immune function.
Ingredients
Flavonoids: Quercetin, luteolin, apigenin, kaempferol, and their glycosides. Polysaccharides: Corn silk polysaccharides (with hypoglycemic and immunomodulatory activities). Sterols: Sitosterol, stigmasterol, etc. Organic Acids: Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, malic acid, citric acid, etc. Volatile Oils: Containing various terpenoids. Other Components: Vitamin C, vitamin K, alkaloids, saponins, and various minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, etc.).
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, 15–30 g (30–60 g if fresh); or steeped as tea; or prepared as powder. Topical Administration: Appropriate amount, decocted in water for fumigation and washing.
Contraindications
Use with caution in patients with hypotension (corn silk has an antihypertensive effect; it is not suitable for those with excessively low blood pressure to use in large amounts). Use with caution in patients with hypoglycemia (corn silk has a hypoglycemic effect; it is not suitable for those with low blood sugar to consume large amounts on an empty stomach). Use with caution in patients with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold and profuse, clear urine. Pregnant women should use it under the guidance of a physician. Use with caution in individuals with allergies (a very small number of people may experience allergic reactions).
Selected Formulas
For nephritis edema (National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicine) Take 30g corn silk (Yumixu), 15g Fuling (Poria), 12g Zhuling (Polyporus), and 12g Baizhu (Atractylodes). Decoct in water and drink. For hypertension (Folk Empirical Formula) Take 30g corn silk, 15g Juemingzi (Cassia seed), and 10g Juhua (Chrysanthemum flower). Decoct in water or steep as tea and drink. For diabetes (Chinese Medicinal Plant Flora) Take 30g corn silk, 30g Huangqi (Astragalus root), 30g Shanyao (Chinese yam), and 15g Tianhuafen (Trichosanthes root). Decoct in water and drink. For jaundice and cholecystitis (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica) Take 30g corn silk, 30g Yinchen (Artemisia capillaris), 10g Zhizi (Gardenia fruit), and 30g Jinqiancao (Lysimachia herb). Decoct in water and drink. For chyluria (Anhui Chinese Herbal Medicine) Take 30g corn silk, 30g Jicai (Shepherd's purse), and 30g Baimaogen (Imperata rhizome). Decoct in water and drink.
Daily Consumption
Corn Silk Tea: Take 15–30 g of dried corn silk, rinse thoroughly. Steep in boiling water or decoct with water for 10 minutes. Drink as tea. It helps promote diuresis, reduce edema, lower blood pressure, and lower blood sugar. Corn Silk and Coix Seed Congee: Take 30 g of corn silk (wrapped in a cloth bag), 50 g of Coix seed (Yì Yǐ Rén), and 50 g of polished rice. Cook together into a congee. Remove the cloth bag before eating. Suitable for damp-heat edema and dysuria. Corn Silk and Winter Melon Soup: Take 30 g of corn silk and 200 g of winter melon (with skin). Add water and cook into a soup, then season with salt. This soup helps clear heat, promote diuresis, relieve summer heat, and quench thirst.
Medicinal Parts
Style and stigma.
Selection & Storage
Store in a well-ventilated, dry place, protected from mold and insects.