STIGMA MAYDIS: A PROMISING TRADITIONAL THERAPEUTIC HERB

Abstract

Medicinal plants plays vital role in treatment of various diseases. In recent years, plant materials have been used as
medicine for wide variety of human ailments due to side effects of several allopathic drugs and development of resistance
to currently used drug for infectious disease. Medicinal effect of the plant is due to their phytochemical constituents. This
review focuses on the available scientific evidence on potential uses of Stigma maydis in healthcare including its
phytochemical, pharmacological, and botanical description and its toxicological studies. Stigma maydis (Zea mays) is
yellowish thread-like strand found inside the husks of corn. Corn Stigma measure 4-8 in (10-20 cm) long and are
collected for medicinal use before the plant is pollinated. Stigma maydis chemically contains proteins, vitamins,
carbohydrates, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+ and Na+ salts, volatile oils, and steroids such as sitosterol and stigmasterol, alkaloids,
saponins, tannins, and flavonoids. Stigma maydis has been claimed to have effect more particularly on renal diseases
including chronic nephritis, benign prostate hyperplasia, gout and cystitis. Stigma maydis also served as remedy for heart
trouble, jaundice, malaria, and obesity. It works very effectively to treat urinary tract infections. Stigma maydis also shows
inhibitory effect on melanin production and act as whitening agent in cosmetics.