Corn silk, botanically referred to as Zea Mays Silk, consists of the fine, golden-yellow fiber bundles (stigmas) of the corn plant. CONIUNCTA® offers this raw material as Corn Silk Powder Extract 10:1 (INCI: Zea Mays Silk): a spray-dried powder obtained through a concentration factor of 10:1 and stabilized on a maltodextrin carrier. For formulators in the cosmetics and food industries, the powder form is of interest because it can be incorporated into both aqueous and dry systems and is supplied without any carried-over solvent.
Maysin: The Documented Lead Marker
At the center of the analytical profile is maysin, a flavone C-glycoside listed in the datasheet as the primary marker of this extract. The literature content in the dry material is stated as 0.1 to 0.5% (source: Ren et al. 2013). Applying the concentration factor of 10:1 and an assumed recovery of 70 to 90%, this results in an indicative content in the product of 7 to 45 mg/g. At an extract usage level of 2%, this corresponds mathematically to approximately 0.14 to 0.90 mg/g in the finished formulation. These figures are based on review-level literature data and are to be understood as indicative, not as a guaranteed batch value.
For maysin, the datasheet documents a biochemical profile described as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and capillary-strengthening; ROS scavenging, MMP inhibition, and NF-κB are named as molecular targets. This information originates from published literature and the biochemical profile and should accordingly be classified as literature-based.
Further Documented Compounds
In addition to maysin, the datasheet lists two further constituents: allantoin at a content of 0.1 to 0.3%, and potassium as a mineral component. Both round out the compound profile of the corn silk extract and are part of the plant's natural spectrum of constituents. Beyond the information stated in the CDS, CONIUNCTA® makes no further claims regarding concentrations or standardizations.
Cosmetic Activity Profile and Regulatory Framework
Based on the biochemical profile and published literature, the datasheet supports, for this extract, the cosmetic claim of an anti-inflammatory orientation in the cosmetic sense. Important for finished product manufacturers: such claims require independent substantiation by the party placing the product on the market, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 655/2013. Responsibility for the substantiation of the advertising claim on the end product therefore lies with the manufacturer of the finished formulation. CONIUNCTA® supplies the raw material together with the documented basis; product-specific proof of efficacy within the concrete cosmetic system remains the task of the user.
Traditionally, a diuretic use has been attributed to the plant. This is expressly a traditional use and not a substantiated cosmetic or regulatorily supported claim; it is mentioned here only for botanical context.
Powder Form, Carrier, and Technical Parameters
The extract is available as a brown powder; the product color is described as golden yellow to light brown. It is obtained using ethanol and water as extraction solvents and subsequently spray-dried. The composition comprises 80 to 99% Corn Silk Extract and 1 to 20% maltodextrin as the carrier system. The particle size is specified as 80 mesh (at least 95% passing through 80 mesh), and the bulk density is 0.50 to 0.70. Odor, color, and taste are organoleptically described as characteristic.
- Extract ratio: 10:1, spray-dried
- Carrier: maltodextrin
- Recommended usage concentration in cosmetics: 2 to 5% (the
