Botanicals have been used traditionally by herbalists and indigenous healers worldwide for the prevention and treatment of liver disease. Clinical research in this century has confirmed the efficacy of several plants in the treatment of liver disease. Basic scientific research has uncovered the mechanisms by which some plants afford their therapeutic effects. Silybum marianum (milk thistle) has...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Accumulated evidence suggests that oxidative stress is involved in amyloid beta (Abeta)-induced cognitive dysfunction. Silibinin (silybin), a flavonoid derived from the herb milk thistle (Silybum marianum), has been shown to have antioxidative properties; however, it remains unclear whether silibinin improves Abeta-induced neurotoxicity. In the present study, we examined ...

Oxidative stresses are increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications which may either cause direct pancreatic beta-cell damage or lead to metabolic abnormalities that can induce or aggravate diabetes. The valuable effect of antioxidant nutrients on the glycemic control of diabetic patients has been reported in experimental and clinical studies. The present study was desi...

Silybum marianum (L) Gaertn (milk thistle) seeds, Urtica dioica L (nettle) leaves, and Boswellia serrata (olibanum gum) resin are used traditionally by Iranian diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihyperglycemic effects of these herbs in an herbal formulation in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Sixty patients diagnosed as type II diabetes mellitus with fasting...

This study revealed the optimal conditions for the Ultrasonic-Assisted Enzymatic Extraction (UAEE) of silymarin, and include: the concentration of ethanol, 50 %; enzyme concentration, 30 U/mg; liquid-solid ratio, 6:1; an extraction time of 120 min; and the ultrasonic power at 180 W. The extraction rate was 7.86 %, which is higher, by 74.67 %, than that of the silymarin extract from the Silybum ...

The morphogenic potential and free-radical scavenging activity of the medicinal plant, Silybum marianum L. (milk thistle) were investigated. Direct root regeneration and indirect organogenesis and preliminary phytochemical, antibacterial studies of its callus. From leaf explants the highly significance result was found on the NAA at 2 mg/l and KIN at 0.2 mg/l for the direct root induction and i...

BACKGROUND The potential benefit of silymarin (special extract from the fruits of Silybum marianum) in the treatment of liver diseases remains a controversial issue. METHODS For this systematic review electronic databases identified 65 papers for the search terms silymarin, silibinin, silicristin or milk thistle and clinical trial. Only 19 complied with the criteria'double-' or 'single-blind'...