**4. Antioxidant potential**

**Corn part**

Corn kernel **Extracting solvent**

Methanol acidified with citric acid

Methanol acidified with HCl

Ethanol acidified with citric acid

Aqueous alcohol

Methanol acidified with citric acid

Various polarity solvents

Various polarity solvents

Various polarity solvents

TAE, tannic acid equivalent.

Corn cob

Corn leaves

Corn shoot

Corn root

Corn husk

Methanol 115.4–175.5 mg

54 Corn - Production and Human Health in Changing Climate

Ethanol 223–467 mg

GAE/100 g dw

17.67–23.97 and 2.1 mg GAE/g fw, 2.8 mg GAE/g dw

GAE /100 g dw

287.3 ± 0.03 mg GAE/100 g fw

20.06–24.97 mg GAE/100 g fw

215.8–3400 53 mg GAE/100 g dw

15.43–64.02 mg GAE/100 g fw

79.61–92.64 mg GAE/g extract, 0.86 g GAE/100 g

4.94–1.75 g GAE/100 g

**Table 2.** Phytochemical composition of extracts from various parts of corn.

Methanol 129–

353 ± 53 mg GAE/100 g dw

**TPC TFC TAC TCC References**

178–515 mg NE /100 g dw

270 ± 62 mg NE /100 g of dw

14.41 mg CAE/g extract, 1.56 g QE/100 g, 0.46 g QE/100 g

Water 69 μg GAE/g extract [85] Ethanol 31.32 μg GAE/g extract [85]

Water 9.98 μg GAE/g extract [85]

GAE, gallic acid equivalent; RE, rutin equivalent; TFC, total flavonoid content; TPC, total phenolic content; TAC, total anthocyanin content; CGE, cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents; fw, fresh weight; CE, catechin equivalent; TCC, total carotenoid contents; QE, quercetin equivalent; BCE, β-carotene equivalent; dw, dry weight; NE, naringin equivalent;

1.62–14.77 g GAE/100 g 1.48–2.05 g QE/100 g 0.45–3.63 g

16.53–45.84 mg CGE/100 g fw, 0.3 mg CGE/g fw, 0.4 mg CGE/g dw

0–90 mg CGE /100 g dw

70.50 mg CGE /100 g

25.8–133.26 mg CGE/100 g fw

30 ± 26 mg CGE /100 g dw

1.54–850.9 mg CGE/100 g dw

1166 mg/100 g

dw

17.87– 115.97 mg CGE/100 g fw

17.68 g QE/100 g 3.73–44.91 g

6.7 μg/g fw, 9.7 μg/g dw

16–564 μg/100 g dw

135 ± 119 μg/100 g dw

0.85–1.18 g BCE/100 g

BCE/100 g

BCE/100 g

[95]

[95]

[82]

[41]

[95]

[96]

[67]

[91]

[93, 97]

[97]

[97]

[61, 91]

[61, 91]

The pharmaceutical and medicinal significance of medicinal plants is usually based on their antioxidant phytochemical composition. Antioxidants are the substances which have the ability to prevent the oxidation reactions in living and nonliving systems. They possess hydrogendonating ability due to which they reduce other species and are themselves oxidized. These substances perform their action by reducing the reactive oxygen or nitrogen species or metals in their oxidized forms. These substances have the ability to terminate the free radical chain reactions occurring in the living system. Owing to their antiradical and reducing properties, the antioxidant phytochemicals play a key role in the preparation of pharmaceutical formulations against various diseases. The diversity in the phytochemical quality and high content of bioactive antioxidant phytochemicals make corn a valuable candidate for pharmaceutical application. Among various parts of corn, the corn silk is a rich source of antioxidant compounds and possesses strong antioxidant potential. The antioxidant properties of various parts of corn studied in terms of total antioxidant activity, ferric reducing, iron chelating, copperreducing properties, and free radical-scavenging capacities are presented in **Tables 3–5**. The corn extracts have been also reported to improve the antioxidant status of various organs by affecting the activity of antioxidant enzymes [38].


TAOA, total antioxidant activity; β-CABC, β-carotene-bleaching capacity; GAE, gallic acid equivalent; TE, Trolox equivalent; AAE, ascorbic acid equivalent; fw, fresh weight; dw, dry weight.

**Table 3.** Total antioxidant activity and β-carotene-bleaching capacity of extracts from various parts of corn.


FRAP, ferric-reducing antioxidant power; *CRC*, cupric-reducing capacity; EC50, effective concentration required for 50% inhibition; TE, Trolox equivalent.

**5. Biological activities**

**Extracting solvent**

Aqueous alcohol

Aqueous acetone

Corn silk powder

Various polarity solvents

Methanol acidified with

citric acid

Corn husk Methanol acidified with citric acid

Corn leaves

**Corn part**

Corn silk

Various polarity solvents

Various polarity solvents

Various polarity solvents

inhibition; ABTS, azino-bis-tetrazolium sulfate.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relationship between the consumption of food with high quantities of phenolic compounds and a reduction in the risks of chronic and degenerative diseases, such as cancers and cardiovascular disease. Corn seed possesses antidiabetic,

**Activity Reference**

[43, 55, 59, 99, 100]

[19, 47, 49, 102,

[34, 38, 44, 46, 50, 76, 104]

[10, 37, 105–108]

[24, 87, 109]

103]

anti-hepatocarcinomic, antiadipogenic, antiobesitic, antihyperglycemic, antidiabetic, lipid lowering, hematinic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic

Hot water Antioxidant activity and inhibition of IgE antibody formation in mice [48, 101]

peroxidation, immunomodulatory activity by enhancing the innate

cell surface, activation of human peroxisome proliferator activator receptors, induction of antioxidant enzymes, and reduction of oxidative stress, antioxidant and free radical-scavenging, urease inhibitory, anti-

Anti-fatigue, hepatoprotective, and renal protective activity in terms of

Antioxidant activity in terms of free radical-scavenging, metal-reducing and beta-carotene-bleaching capacities and antimicrobial activity

Antioxidant activity [20]

Antioxidant and immunostimulatory activity in fish [110]

DPPH, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging ability; IC50, inhibitory concentration required for 50%

**Corn part Extracting solvent DPPH ABTS References** Corn cob Methanol 4–22 μmol/g dw [67]

21.01% [91]

Phytochemical Composition: Antioxidant Potential and Biological Activities of Corn

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.79648

57

IC50 (11.8–154.4 μg/ml) [97]

10.25% [91]

IC50 (34.1–170.9 μg/ml) [97]

IC50 (9–78 μg/ml) [97]

antioxidant, antiproliferative, and anti-cataractogenic activities [18, 39–41].

Water Diuretic and kaliuretic activity with reduced glomerular function,

Methanol Antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-hyperthyroidism, inhibition of lipid

Ethanol Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α and adhesion of leukocytes to

hyperlipidemic, and diuretic activity

inhibition of lipid peroxidation

immunity, lipid lowering, and cardioprotective activity

**Table 5.** Free radical-scavenging capacity of extracts from various parts of corn.

activity

**Table 4.** Metal-reducing capacity of extracts from various parts of corn.



DPPH, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging ability; IC50, inhibitory concentration required for 50% inhibition; ABTS, azino-bis-tetrazolium sulfate.

**Table 5.** Free radical-scavenging capacity of extracts from various parts of corn.
