Anti-obesity potential of corn silks: Relationships of phytochemicals and antioxidation, anti-pre-adipocyte proliferation, anti-adipogenesis, and lipolysis induction

• Corn silk extracts (CSEs) are found as an interesting source for health applications in prevention of obesity.
• The biofunctional compounds found in CSEs: quercetin glucoside, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid and derivatives.
• Different major compositions among CSEs: quercetin glucoside derivatives in sweet CSEs, and p-coumaric acid in waxy CSEs.
• Anti-obesity effect of CSEs in anti-adipogenesis and lipolysis induction were correlated to their phytochemical contents.
• The anti-obesity potencies of sweet and waxy corn silk cultivars were different.

The 50% ethanolic corn silk extracts (CSEs) derived from sweet (SP and SV) and waxy corn silk (KJ and KT) cultivars were investigated for their phytochemical compositions using HPLC-UV method, antioxidation using FRAP and DPPH assays and anti-obesity potential in 3T3-L1 adipocyte. Different major compositions among CSEs were manifested: flavonoids as quercetin glucoside derivatives and phenolics as ferulic acid in sweet CSEs, and phenolics as p-coumaric acid and derivatives of gallic acid in waxy CSEs. Related to high phytochemical contents, the antioxidant activity, anti-pre-adipocyte proliferation, anti-adipogenesis, and lipolysis induction in sweet CSEs were higher than in waxy CSEs. Moreover, significant correlations between phytochemical contents and anti-proliferation and anti-adipocyte differentiation were indicated in sweet CSEs. Interestingly, lipolysis induction was detected in both sweet and waxy CSEs. Conclusively, the anti-obesity potential of CSEs involving anti-adipogenesis and lipolysis induction is manifested in association with the composition of flavonoids and phenolics as the functional ingredient.