Silymarin, a natural flavonoid from the seeds of milk thistle, is used for chemoprevention against various cancers in clinical settings and in experimental models. To examine the chemopreventive mechanisms of silymarin against colon cancer, we investigated suppressive effects of silymarin against carcinogenicity and genotoxicity induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) plus dextran sodium sulfate...

Herbal products, used for centuries in Far Eastern countries, are gaining popularity in western countries. Surveys indicate that persons with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) often use herbals, especially silymarin (milk thistle extract), hoping to improve the modest response to antiviral therapy and reduce side effects. The Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial, i...

Silymarin, a plant flavonoid, has been shown to inhibit skin carcinogenesis in mice. However, the mechanism responsible for the anti-skin carcinogenic effects of silymarin is not clearly understood. Here, we report that treatment of JB6 C141 cells (preneoplastic epidermal keratinocytes) and p53+/+ fibroblasts with silymarin and silibinin (a major constituent of silymarin) resulted in a dose-dep...

Silymarin is a polyphenolic flavonoid that has a strong antioxidant activity and exhibits anticarcinogenic, antiinflammatory, and cytoprotective effects. Although its hepatoprotective effect has been well documented, the effect of silymarin on pancreatic beta-cells is largely unknown. In this study, the effect of silymarin on IL-1beta and/or interferon (IFN)-gamma-induced beta-cell damage was i...

Objective To determine whether intraperitoneal silymarin administration has favorable effects on the heart, lungs, kidney, and liver and on oxidative stress in a rat model of supraceliac aorta ischemia/reperfusion injury. Methods Thirty male Wistar albino rats were divided equally into three groups: sham, control, and silymarin. The control and silymarin groups underwent supraceliac aortic oc...

BACKGROUND Sodium arsenite can impair male reproductive function by inducing oxidative stress. Silymarin is known as a potent antioxidant. OBJECTIVE This study was performed to investigate if silymarin can prevent the adverse effect of sodium arsenite on ram sperm viability, motility and mitochondrial membrane potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS Epidydimal spermatozoa obtained from ram were di...

BACKGROUND Silymarin is a flavonolignan that has been the subject of research to evaluate the beneficial properties for decades. Silymarin has been known for its potent cytoprotective, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities. The goal of the present study was to gain a deeper understanding of possible molecular mechanisms of apoptosis of the injuries induced by silymarin on BALB/c mice fetu...

Silymarin and its flavonolignan isomers, silybin, isosilybin, dehydrosilybin, silychristin, silydianin, and a few flavonoids mainly taxifolin, have been subjected to a variety of antimicrobial investigations due to extensive traditional uses and low side effects. Antimicrobial activities for silymarin and active seed extracts of Silybum marianum against different bacteria, fungi, viruses and pa...

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus (1). Recently much attention has been directed toward the use of silymarin in diabetic nephropathy (2). Silymarin possesses antioxidant and antiproteinuric effects in humans and in animal models (2,3). Silymarin seems to have two different effects in diabetic patients (2,3). Firstly control of blood sugar and s...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to develop a novel silymarin-loaded solid nanoparticle system with enhanced oral bioavailability and an ability to provide excellent hepatic protection for poorly water-soluble drugs using Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane emulsification and a spray-drying technique. METHODS A silymarin-loaded liquid nanoemulsion was formulated by applying the SPG me...