Corn silk (Zea mays L.) is a waste material from corn cultivation
and available in abundance throughout the world [16].
Corn silk is another well-known traditional Chinese medicine
that has been widely used for treatment of some diseases,
such as cystitis, edema, kidney stones, diuretic, prostate disorder,
and urinary infections as well as bedwetting and obesity
[17–22]. Corn silk has been reported to contain various chemicals,
including proteins, vitamins, alkaloids, tannins and mineral
salts, steroids, flavonoids and polysaccharides [23–25]. Previous
studies showed that polysaccharides from corn silk could lead
to weight loss [26], regulate blood sugar [27] and improve gastrointestinal
movement [28]. However, the data regarding its
in vivo antitumor and immune enhancing properties are very
limited. In this regard, the aim of this study was to prepare corn
silk polysaccharides (CSP), and to investigate the antitumor and
immunoregulatory activities of CSP in a H22 tumor-bearing mice
model.