• BMB Reports
• /
• v.47 no.7
• /
• pp.382-387
• /
• 2014

Corn silk (CS) has long been consumed as a traditional herb in Korea. Maysin is a major flavonoid of CS. The effects of maysin on macrophage activation were evaluated, using the murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Maysin was isolated from CS by methanol extraction, and preparative $C_{18}$ reverse phase column chromatography. Maysin was nontoxic up to $100{\mu}g/ml$, and dose-dependently increased TNF-${\alpha}$ secretion and iNOS production by 11.2- and 4.2-fold, respectively, compared to untreated control. The activation and subsequent nuclear translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$ was substantially enhanced upon treatment with maysin ($1-100{\mu}g/ml$). Maysin also stimulated the phosphorylation of Akt and MAPKs (ERK, JNK). These results indicated that maysin activates macrophages to secrete TNF-${\alpha}$ and induce iNOS expression, via the activation of the Akt, NF-${\kappa}B$ and MAPKs signaling pathways. These results suggest for the first time that maysin can be a new immunomodulator, enhancing the early innate immunity.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.392-396
• /
• 2003

Maysin, a C-glycosylflavone, was isolated from the silks of maize, Zea mays L. The ESI mass spectrum indicates that molecular weight of maysin is $577\textrm{M}^+$m/z, and the ether-linked sugar is rhamnose, $431\textrm{M}^+$m/z (MW$^{+}$-146). The DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity of maysin was higher than that of rutin. However, as compared with its aglycon luteolin, maysin showed the relatively moderate DPPH scavenging activity mainly due to the glycosylation of two sugars moieties, keto-fucose and rhamnose. In the in vitro cytotoxicity test against the five human tumor cell lines such as lung (A549), ovarian (SK-OV-3), melanoma (SK-MEL-2), central nerve system (XF-489), and colon (HCT-15), maysin exhibited the relatively weaker activities than cisplatin. The $\textrm{ED}_{50}$ values of maysin were 62.24, 43.18, 16.83, 37.22, and 32.09/$m\ell$, respectively. Result suggests that maysin is a potential cytotoxicity compound, particularly for human colon, central nerve system, and melanoma tumors.s.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.151-157
• /
• 2000

This study was carried out to isolate and identify the maysin and related flavonoid analogues in corn silks. Silks were covered with silk bag to prevent pollination and were sampled at 3-5 days after silking. The silks were filled with 100% MeOH and stored at $0^{\circ}C$ until analysis. The MeOH extracts of corn silks were filtered and concentrated at 35-4$0^{\circ}C$. The ${CH}_2$${Cl}_2$ was added on the concentrated aqueous solution to remove the chlorophyll and lipids. The Cis open column (25mm$\times$54 cm) was washed and activated with serial treatment of 500$m\ell$ of 100% MeOH(twice)longrightarrow75% MeOH longrightarrow50% MeOHlongrightarrow30% MeOHlongrightarrow100% $H_2$O(2 times). The concentrated aqueous solution was applied to the $C_{18}$ column and washed with $H_2O$ several times to remove the sugars and water soluble pigments. Neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid and 4-caffeoylquinic acid were eluted with 10% MeOH, and rhamosyl isoorientin was eluted with 30% MeOH, but maysin was eluted with 50% MeOH from the $C_18$ open column. Collected fractions were analyzed with HPLC by using revers-phase Ultras-phere $C_{18}$ column (4.6$\times$250mm, 5$\mu\textrm{m}$) and $H_2$O (10% MeOH containing 0.1% $H_3$${PO}_4$)/MeOH (100% MeOH containing 0.1% H$_3$PO$_4$) linear gradient from 20% to 90% MeOH for 35 minutes, a flow rate of 1 $m\ell$/min and detection at 340nm. The selected fractions were concentrated and applied to the silicic acid column. Maysin was eluted with 500$m\ell$ of 100% ethyl acetate from the silicic acid column for the first purification, and the purity of collected fractions was about 75%, but the purity from the second purification with the Cis column (1/2 $\times$ 43") was greater than 95%. FAB-MS spectral data was obtained with VG7O-VSEQ VG analytical fast atom bombardment mass (UK). $^1$H-NMR and $^{13}$ C-NMR data were obtained with Bruker DPX 400 MHz NMR spectrometers (German) in DMSO-d$_{6}$ at 400 and 100 MHz, respectively.vely.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
• /
• 1998.04a
• /
• pp.193-194
• /
• 1998

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.575-582
• /
• 2016

BACKGROUNG/OBJECTIVES: The study was performed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of high maysin corn silk extract on body weight and fat deposition in experimental animals. MATERIALS/METHODS: A total of 30 male C57BL/6J mice, 4-weeks-old, were purchased and divided into three groups by weight using a randomized block design. The normal-fat (NF) group received 7% fat (diet weight basis), the high-fat (HF) group received 25% fat and 0.5% cholesterol, and the high-fat corn silk (HFCS) group received high-fat diet and high maysin corn silk extract at 100 mg/kg body weight through daily oral administration. Body weight and body fat were measured, and mRNA expression levels of proteins involved in adipocyte differentiation, fat accumulation, fat synthesis, lipolysis, and fat oxidation in adipose tissue and the liver were measured. RESULTS: After experimental diet intake for 8 weeks, body weight was significantly lower in the HFCS group compared to the HF group (P < 0.05), and kidney fat and epididymal fat pad weights were significantly lower in the HFCS group compared to the HF group (P < 0.05). In the HFCS group, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-${\beta}$, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-${\gamma}1$ (PPAR-${\gamma}1$), and PPAR-${\gamma}2$ mRNA expression levels were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the epididymal fat pad, whereas cluster of differentiation 36, lipoprotein lipase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-1, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, isozyme-4, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 mRNA expression levels were significantly decreased in liver and adipose tissues (P < 0.05). In the HFCS group, mRNA expression levels of AMP-activated protein kinase, hormone-sensitive lipase, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 were elevated (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that high maysin corn silk extract inhibits expression of genes involved in adipocyte differentiation, fat accumulation, and fat synthesis as well as promotes expression of genes involved in lipolysis and fat oxidation, further inhibiting body fat accumulation and body weight elevation in experimental animals.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.41 no.spc1
• /
• pp.46-68
• /
• 1996

The objective of this report is to review the up to present papers including 79 references about functional ingredients in maize and their variations. Maize is a good source of such antioxidants as ${\alpha}-,\;{\gamma}-tocopherols,\;{\alpha}-,\;{\beta}-carotene,\;{\beta}-cryptoxanthin$, zeaxanthin, quercetin and chlorogenic acid. Unsaponifiable standard extracts of Zea mays L. (ZML) have a beneficial effect on various dental diseases. Flavonoids, flavonoid biosynthetic pathway and their controling genes were also reviewed in this report. Flavonoids are required for successful fertilization in maize pollen, and maysin has a potent antibiotic activities to earworm and fall armyworm in maize silks. Maize silks have been used in traditional medicine for diuretic, vascular diseases and diabetes, etc. and boiling water extracts of maize silk have hemodynamic effects, but their ingredients still remain obscure.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.59 no.4
• /
• pp.435-444
• /
• 2014

This study was carried out to isolate and characterize the flavonoids present in corn silks. Maysin content in the unpollinated corn silks (Kwangpyeongok) showed its highest level at 3 days after silking, and decreased thereafter, while the content of open pollinated silks were consistently decreased after silking. This result indicates that the maysin content is considerably affected by the pollination of corn silk. Unpollinated corn silks were collected with excising, and ethanol employed to extract flavonoids at common temperature for 9 days. After extraction, chlorophyll, lipids etc. were removed with methylene chloride, then submitted to flash column cartridge ($150{\times}40mm$ i.d.) packed with a preparative $RP-C_{18}$ bulk packing material ($125{\AA}$, $55-105{\mu}m$), and monitored at 352 nm. Four fractions, fraction-I, -II, -III, and -IV, were isolated from ethanolic extract of corn silks. Absorption spectrum of fraction I showed its maximum intensity (${\lambda}_{max}$) at 327 nm and 239 nm, fraction-II showed its maximum intensity at 339 nm and 274 nm, fraction-III showed its maximum intensity at 345 nm and 277 nm, and fraction-IV showed its maximum intensity at 352 nm, 270 nm, 257 nm, respectively. On the baisis of ESI micro-TOF analysis, fraction-I was identified as chlorogenic acid (m/z 355, 3-(3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyl) quinic acid, $C_{16}H_{18}O_9$), fraction-II identified as a mixture of chlorogenic acid and luteolin 3'-methyl ether 7-glucuronosyl-($1{\rightarrow}2$)-glucuronide (m/z 653, $C_{28}H_{28}O_{18}$), fraction-III identified as a mixture of chlorogenic acid luteolin 7-O-neohesperidoside (m/z 595, $C_{27}H_{30}O_{15}$), and luteolin 3'-methyl ether 7-glucuronosyl-($1{\rightarrow}2$)-glucuronide, and fraction-IV identified as maysin (m/z 577, 2"-O-${\alpha}$-L-rhamnosyl-6-C-(6-deoxy-xylohexose-4-ulosyl)luteolin, $C_{27}H_{28}O_{14}$), respectively. From the ethanolic extract of corn silks, fraction-I was obtained about 35 mg/100 g F.W., fraction-II was about 48 mg/100 g F.W., fraction-III was about 46 mg/100 g F.W., and fraction-IV was about 138 mg/100 g F.W., respectively.

• Food Engineering Progress
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.256-266
• /
• 2017

This study was designed to optimize ethanol extraction process of unfertilized corn silk (UCS) to maximize phytochemical contents and bioactivities. The response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD) was employed to obtain the optimal extraction conditions. The influence of ethanol concentration, extraction temperature and extraction time on total polyphenol contents, total flavonoid contents, maysin contents, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical scavenging activities and tyrosinase inhibition were analyzed. For all dependable variables, the most significant factor was ethanol concentration followed by extraction temperature and extraction time. The following optimum conditions were determined by simultaneous optimization of several responses with the Derringer's desirability function using the numerical optimization function of the Design-Expert program: ethanol concentration 80.45%, extraction temperature $53.49^{\circ}C$, and extraction time 4.95 h. Under these conditions, the predicted values of total polyphenol contents, total flavonoid contents, maysin contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibition were $2758.74{\mu}g\;GAE/g$ dried sample, $1520.81{\mu}g\;QUE/g$ dried sample, 810.26 mg/100g dried sample, 56.86% and 43.49%, respectively, and the overall desirability (D) was 0.74.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.217-228
• /
• 2019

There have been no published studies concerning the anti-inflammatory effects of corn silk on colon cancer cells. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin on inflammation and its mechanism of action in colon cancer cells. SW 480 human colon cancer cells were treated with $1{\mu}g/mL$ of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation, and next they were treated with different concentrations of corn silk extract (0, 5, 10 and $15{\mu}g/mL$). The concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) were determined. The mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$), interleukin-1beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were determined. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the protein expressions of nuclear factor-kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) and mitogen-activated protein kinases, and the latter consists of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinase (p38). The concentration of NO and the mRNA expression of iNOS were significantly and dose-dependently decreased in the corn silk-treated groups (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$ and IL-6 were significantly increased in the LPS-treated group (P<0.05), but these expressions were significantly and dose-dependently decreased in the corn silk treated groups (P<0.05). The protein expressions of $NF-{\kappa}B$ (in a dose-dependent fashion), ERK (at 10 and $15{\mu}g/mL$), JNK (at $15{\mu}g/mL$) and p38 (at 10 and $15{\mu}g/mL$) were significantly decreased with corn silk treatments (P<0.05). In conclusion, corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin seems to inhibit the LPS-induced inflammatory responses in SW480 colon cancer cells via the $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.501-506
• /
• 2016

BACKGROUNG/OBJECTIVES: Corn silk (CS) extract contains large amounts of maysin, which is a major flavonoid in CS. However, studies regarding the effect of CS extract on cholesterol metabolism is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of CS extract on cholesterol metabolism in C57BL/6J mouse fed high-fat diets. MATERIALS/METHODS: Normal-fat group fed 7% fat diet, high-fat (HF) group fed 25% fat diet, and high-fat with corn silk (HFCS) group were orally administered CS extract (100 mg/kg body weight) daily. Serum and hepatic levels of total lipids, triglycerides, and total cholesterol as well as serum free fatty acid, glucose, and insulin levels were determined. The mRNA expression levels of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase (CYP7A1), farnesoid X receptor (FXR), lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), low-density lipoprotein receptor, 3-hyroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), adiponectin, leptin, and tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$ were determined. RESULTS: Oral administration of CS extract with HF improved serum glucose and insulin levels as well as attenuated HF-induced fatty liver. CS extracts significantly elevated mRNA expression levels of adipocytokines and reduced mRNA expression levels of HMG-CoA reductase, ACAT, and FXR. The mRNA expression levels of CYP7A1 and LCAT between the HF group and HFCS group were not statistically different. CONCLUSIONS: CS extract supplementation with a high-fat diet improves levels of adipocytokine secretion and glucose homeostasis. CS extract is also effective in decreasing the regulatory pool of hepatic cholesterol, in line with decreased blood and hepatic levels of cholesterol though modulation of mRNA expression levels of HMG-CoA reductase, ACAT, and FXR.