Common Corn.

Corn: Grain, Feed and Medicinal Culture

Common corn (Zea mays) is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the grass family. It is one of the most widespread and important crops in many regions of the world. Corn grows to a height of 1 to 3 meters and has a thick, hollow stem. The leaves are wide and linear-lanceolate.

The plant blooms in July - August. Corn flowers are dioecious. Male flowers are collected in large panicles at the ends of the stems, and female flowers are located in cobs that form in the axils of the same plants.

Corn cobs are covered with a green leaf-shaped wrapper. Ripe fruits are yellow or green-yellow compressed grains that are round or kidney-shaped. Corn ripens in September - October. It is also found in the wild.

In Russia, common corn is cultivated in Ukraine, the Caucasus region, Central Asia and Western Siberia. Any fertilized soil is suitable for successfully growing corn.

Corn has many uses in various fields. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is used to produce glutamic acid, which in turn is used in the food industry to preserve the taste and aromatic properties of products during long-term storage and canning.

Corn is also an important grain and feed crop. From the germ of grains, oil is obtained, which has excellent taste, comparable to butter. Corn grains are used to produce starch, grape sugar, alcohol and acetic acid.

Corn columns with silks, which serve as medicinal raw materials, deserve special attention. They are collected in the phase of milky-waxy ripeness of the cobs or when they are cleaned. The raw materials are dried in the shade or in a dryer at the optimal temperature, and then stored in cloth bags for no more than one year, since with longer storage it will lose its medicinal properties.

Preparations based on corn silk have diuretic, choleretic, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, antimicrobial effects. They are widely used in folk medicine to treat diseases of the urinary system, gall bladder, kidneys and prostate gland. Corn kernels are also used in some diabetes medications because they help lower blood sugar levels.

In addition, corn is widely used in the food industry. It is used in a variety of dishes, including cornbread, corn flakes, corn chips and tortilla chips. Cornmeal and cornstarch are also important ingredients in the production of various products.

Corn has high nutritional value. It is rich in fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E and antioxidants. Corn also contains minerals such as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.

However, it should be noted that some people may be allergic to corn. Eating corn products may cause allergic reactions in some people, so you need to be careful when consuming them.

Overall, corn is an important agricultural and food crop and also has some medicinal properties. It is widely used in various industries and has significant economic and nutritional value.