ANTIULCEROGENIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOL CORN-SILK EXTRACT OF Zea mays IN RATS
ABSTRACT
Cornsilk of Zea mays is used in Ibibio traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments including diabetes mellitus, malaria and gastrointestinal disorders. Ethanol cornsilk extract of Zea mays (170-510 mg/kg) was evaluated for antiulcerogenic activity against indomethacin, ethanol and histamine-induced ulcers in rats. The cornsilk extract was found to possess significant (p<0.05) activity against indomethacin-induced ulcer. The effects of the extract against ethanol and histamine was not significant (p>0.05) and non-dose-dependent. These results suggest that the cornsilk extract of Zea mays possess antiulcerogenic potential which are due to the activities of the phytochemical constituents.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the Study
The intimate relationship between the human and plant world has evolved over generations of experiences and practices. The tribal people and ethnic races throughout the world have developed their own culture, customs, cults, folk-fores, food, medical practices. (Kumar, 2019). In the name of development, as people moved away from Mother Nature, they became more prone to diseases. Most of the present day diseases are lifestyle diseases, however, there is again a revival of drugs being obtained from vegetable sources than at any time in history. (Kumar, 2019). A medicinal plant is any plant which in one or more of its parts contain substances that can be used for therapeutic purposes or which are precursors for the synthesis of useful drugs (Okigbo et al., 2009). They are those plants are commonly used in treating and preventing specific ailments and diseases (Oluwole, 2016). Medicinal plants are now in a “comeback” phase with the last two decades seeing people shifting their focus back to the forgotten traditional natural green remedies. (Kumar, 2019).
- Significance of Medicinal Plants to Man
Medicinal plants have provided mankind a large variety of potent drugs to alleviate or eradicate infections and diseases in spite of advancement in synthetic drugs, some of the plant derived drugs still retained their importance (Oluwole, 2016).
Medicinal plants contain a wide variety of secondary metabolites or compounds such as tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids; that dictates the therapeutic potency of the plants most especially the antimicrobial activities (Oluwole, 2016). The tannins present in medical plants makes it useful in production of antiseptic soap which are commonly used in bathing or cleansing of skin surfaces. Saponins have been traditionally used in detergents, pesticides and molluscides in addition to their industrial applications such as foaming and surface active agents. (Oluwole, 2016).
Many countries in the world, that is, two-third of the world’s population depends on herbal medicine for primary health care. The reasons for this is because of their better cultural acceptability, better compatibility and adaptability with the human body and occurrence of lesser side effects (Oluwole, 2016).
- The plant: Zea maysChemical Composition of Zea mays
Proteins: Tryptophan, threonine, Isoleucine, leucine, Lysine, Methlonine, Valine, Histidine, Serine, Aspartic acid, Glycine, Proline, Alanine.
Vitamins: Vitamin B, (Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Ribofllavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid), Vitamin C
Starch: Amylopectin (72-77%), Amylose (21-28%). Distribution of starch in grain components reveals that 98% is deposited in the endosperm, embryo 1.3% and 0.7% in the pericarp.
Oil Composition: Oleic acid 46%, Linoleic acid 41.5%, Palmitic acid 7.8%, and Stearic acid 3.5%.
Corn Steep Liquor: Widely used in research as a culture medium to grow many kinds of microorganisms.
Minerals: Iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, phosphorus, Potassium.
Water
(Martin, 1970)
- Scientific Classification
Kingdom : Plantae
Sub-kingdom : Trancheophytes
Sub-Phylum : Angiosperms
Class : Monocots
Sub-Class : Commelinids
Order : Cyperales
Genus : Zea
Species : Z mays
Binomial name : Zea mays L.
Preferred scientific name : Zea mays L.
Preferred common name : Maize
1.3.3 Local Names
Igbo : Oka, Abado
Hausa : Masara
Yoruba : Agbado, Igbado
Efik : Ibokpod
Bini : Oka
Ibibio : Akpakpa, Abakpa
English : Maize, corn, Indian corn
Parts Used: Silk, cob
- Description
The maize plant is often 3 m (10 ft) in height though some natural strains can grow 13 m (43 ft). The stem is commonly composed of 20 internodes of 18 cm in length. The leaf which grows from each node is generally 9 cm in width and 120 cm in length. Ears develop above few of the leaves in the mid-section of the plant between the stem and leaf sheath. The apex of the stem ends in the tassel, an infloure-scene of male flowers. When the tassel is mature and conditions are suitably warm and dry, anthers on the tassel dehisce and release pollen. Maize pollen is dispersed by wind because of its large setting velocity most pollen fall within a few meters of the tassel.
Enlongated stigmas called silks emerge from the whorl of the husk leaves at the end of the ear. They are often pale yellow and 18 cm in length, like tufts of hair in appearance. (Figure 1.2) At the end of each is a carpel which may develop into a “kernel” if fertilized by a pollen grain.
Each ear commonly holds 600 kernels. The maximum size of kernels is reputedly 2.5 cm. They are of various colours: white, yellow, purple, blurish-gray. When ground into flour, maize yields more flour with much less bran than wheat does. It lacks the protein, gluten of wheat and therefore makes baked good with poor rising capability.
Young ears can be consumed raw, with the cob and silk but dries to inedibility. By the end of the growing season, the kernels dry out and become difficult to chew without cooking them tender first in boiling water.