The pinyin of Baogu is bāo gǔ

Corn (Zea mays L.) is an annual herbaceous plant of the Gramineae family. Also known as corn, corn, corn, pearl rice, etc. Native to Central and South America, it is an important food crop in the world and is widely distributed in the United States, China, Brazil and other countries.

As of October 2020, the average price of spot corn has reached a maximum of more than 2,600 yuan/ton, setting a new high in the past four years. The price of corn starch rose to about 2,900 yuan per ton, an increase of more than 30%.

Morphological characteristics:

Tall annual herb. The stalk is upright, usually unbranched, 1-4 meters high, with aerial pillar roots at each node at the base. The leaf sheath has transverse veins; the ligule is membranous, about 2 mm long; the blade is flat and wide, linear-lanceolate, the base is rounded and ear-shaped, hairless or pilose, the midrib is thick, and the edges are slightly rough.

The terminal male panicle is large, and the main axis, the raceme axis and the axils are all covered with fine pubescence; the male spikelets are twin, up to 1 cm long, with one spikelet stalk long and one short, respectively. 1-2 mm and 2-4 mm, puberulent; two glumes nearly equal in length, membranous, with about 10 veins, ciliated; lemma and palea are transparent and membranous, slightly shorter than the glume; anthers are orange-yellow; Approximately 5 mm long.

The female inflorescence is enclosed by many broad sheath-like bracts; the female spikelets are twin, arranged in 16-30 longitudinal rows on a strong sequence axis, and the two spikelets are equal in length, broad, veinless, and Ciliated; lemma and lemma are transparent and membranous, pistil has extremely long and thin linear style.

The caryopse is spherical or oblate. When mature, the glumes and palea are exposed. Its size varies with different growth conditions. It is generally 5-10 mm long and slightly wider than its length. The embryo length is 1/2-2/3 of caryopsis. Chromosome 2n=20, 40, 80. The flowering and fruiting period is in autumn.

Distribution range:

It is cultivated throughout my country. It is widely cultivated in tropical and temperate regions around the world and is an important cereal.

Main values:

1. Nutritional value

The vitamin content in corn is very high, 5-10 times that of rice and wheat, among all staple foods , corn has the highest nutritional value and health care effects. The high nutrients such as riboflavin contained in corn are very beneficial to the human body.

It is worth noting that the nutritional value of special corn is higher than that of ordinary corn, and the moisture, active substances, vitamins and other nutrients of fresh corn are also much higher than that of old corn.

2. Medicinal value

According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica": Maize is grown from the soil of the West. It is sweet and non-toxic, and can regulate the body and stimulate the appetite. Corn pollen and germ also contain a large amount of vitamin E and zeaxanthin. Regular consumption of corn products can delay human aging and enhance human physical strength and endurance. Corn fructose syrup can prevent gum bleeding and has an auxiliary effect in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Applying corn modified starch to burns on the human body can prevent scarring in the affected area. Corn starch is also a good medium for the production of penicillin. Sorbitol paste made from oxidized corn dextrose can be used to prepare ascorbic acid tablets. Corn also has the effect of beauty and slimming.

Compared with soybeans and wheat, corn has lower fat and protein content and higher carbohydrate content. Therefore, corn products are increasingly favored by fitness and weight loss people.

3. Other values

Corn silk, also known as "dragon whiskers", has a wide range of preventive and health care uses, so it is said that "a corn silk is worth two taels of gold" . Corn silk contains crude fiber, crude protein, polysaccharides and crude fat. The chemical composition of corn silk has changed greatly in different varieties and at different times.

The content of total phenols and total anthocyanins in corn silk reached its highest during the milk-ripening stage, and the total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in the silking stage were the highest, but the total phenolics and antioxidant activity of sweet corn and white corn were the highest. The total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity were the highest during the spinning period.

Studies have shown that the aqueous extract of corn silk can reduce the volume of calcium oxalate crystals in the body; and the flavonoid extract of corn silk can significantly reduce the degree of joint swelling in gouty arthritis model rats and has anti-inflammatory properties. Gout effect.