USES
Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.
Both crude and extracts are used as an ingre-
dient in certain diuretic preparations; crude is
also used in face powders, among others.
Food. Extracts are used as flavor compo-
nents in major food products such as alcoholic
and nonalcoholic beverages, frozen dairy
desserts, candy, baked goods, and others. Use
levels are generally lower than 0.002%.
Traditional Medicine. Used as a diuretic in
urinary problems (cystitis, pyelitis, etc.); also
as a demulcent.
In Chinese medicine, in addition to being
used as a diuretic in dropsy, corn silk is used to
treat sugar diabetes (diabetes mellitus) in the
form of a decoction and to treat hypertension
when decocted with watermelon peel and
banana, as well as other ailments.
COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS
Crude and extracts. Extracts come in vaning
strengths (seeglossary), with those for food
use expressed in flavor intensities and those
for pharmaceutical applications expressed
in weight-to-weight ratios. Crude and fluid
extract were formerly official in N.F.
Regulatory Status. GRAS (§182.20).
REFERENCES
See the General References forAPhA;BARRETT;FEMA;GOSSELIN;GRIEVE;JIANGSU;LUST;ROSE;TERRELL;
UPHOF.
- N. E. Bobryshev,Kukuruza, 9 , 59 (1962).
- E. D. Styles and O. Ceska,Phytochemistry,
14 , 413 (1975).
3. S. J. Hahn, K’at’ollik Taehak Uihakpu
Nonmunjip, 25 , 127 (1973).
COSTUS OIL
Source: Saussurea lappa Clarke (syn.
Aucklandia costusFalc.) (Family Compositae
or Asteraceae).
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Large erect perennial herb with a thick tap-
root; up to about 2 m high; native to the
mountains of northern India (the Himalayas);
cultivated in India and southwestern China.
Part used is the dried root, from which a
volatile oil is obtained by steam distillation
followed by solvent extraction of the distilled
water. India is the major producer of the oil.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Root contains 0.3–3% volatile oil; saussurine
(an alkaloid); betulin; stigamsterol; about
18% inulin; and resins (JIANGSU; NANJING;
WILLAMAN AND SCHUBERT).
The major components in the oil are ses-
quiterpene lactones, including the crystalline
dehydrocostus lactone and costunolide, which
together make up about 50% of the oil;a- and
b-cyclocostunolide; alantolactone; isoalanto-
lactone; dihydrodehydrocostus lactone; cy-
naropicrin, and others.1–6Also present are
other sesquiterpenes such asb-costol, ele-
ma-1,3,11(13)trien-l2-ol, a-costol, g-costol,
b-selinene, b-elemene, elemol, caryophyl-
lene, caryophyllene oxide, ar-curcumene,
aselinene, a-costal, b-costal,g-costal, and
230 Costus oil
