Silybum marianum silymarin from

Silymarin is a flavonol- lignan mixture obtained from seeds of Silybum marianum. Silymarin is a mixture of silybin, isosilybin, silychristin and silydianin. Silybin A and B are collectively known as silibinin. Silymarin is a reputed hepatoprotective drug. 

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an annual to biennial plant of the Aster-aceae family. It is native principally to southern Europe and northern Africa. The crude drug consists of the ripe fruits from which the pappus has been removed. Milk thistle fruits contain 15% to 30% proteins. The main active compounds constitute only about 2% to 3% of the dried fruits. The active principle is a mixture of flavolignans called silymarin. Silymarin, a polyphenolic extract isolated from the seeds of milk thistle, is composed mainly of silybin (50 70%), with small amounts of other silybin structural isomers, namely isosilybin, silydianin, and silychristin (Fig. 11) (123-125). The highest concentration of silymarin is found in the ripe fruits (126). Silibinin is the main compound, also considered to be the most active one in several paradigms (127). 

Quaglia MG, Bossu E, Donati E, Mazzanti G, Brandt A. Determination of silymarine in the extract from the dried Silybum marianum fruits by high... 

Semi-synthetic from antihepatoxic Silvbin (Silymarin) from Silybum marianum (Asteraceae)... 

Quercetin and other flavonoids are effective inhibitors of 02 -production by cells. Quercetin is a potent inhibitor of human neutrophil degranulation and 02 -production, and also inhibits the phosphorylation of neutrophil proteins accompanying neutrophil activation by phorbol myristate acetate. Quercetin can also suppress lipid peroxidation in several biological systems, such as mitochondria, microsomes, chloro-plasts, and erythrocytes. Silymarin, a 3-OH flavone present in Silybum marianum (the European milk thistle), protects rat liver mitochondria and microsomes from lipid peroxide formation induced by Fe " "-ascorbate and NADPH-Fe -ADP systems. Soybean isoflavonoids have shown antioxidative potency... 

Phytotherapy Research (United Kingdom), 1996, 10/SUPPL. 1 (S25-S26) Properties and medieal use of flavonolignans (Silymarin) from Silybum marianum. Kersey RG, Vanee NC, Taxol and cephaomanine from Taxus baccata needles.In JNP59[2] 117-123.1996. 

Nature Milk thistle is derived from the fruit and seeds of Silybum marianum, which contain flavonolignans such as silymarin. 

Hahn, G., H.D. Lehmann, M. Kurten, H. Uebel, and G. Vogel. 1968. On the pharmacology and toxicology of silymarin, an antihepatotoxic active principle from Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Arzneimittelforschung 18(6) 698-704. In Mills, S., and K. Bone. 2005. The essential guide to herbal safety. St. Louis Elsevier. 

Biosynthesis of the flavonolignan silymarin, a constitutive compound from the fruit of Silybum marianum with strong antihepatotoxic and hepatoprotective activities, is severely reduced in cell cultures of this species. It is well known that elicitation is one of the strategies employed to increase accumulation of secondary metabolites. YEs, chitin, and chitosan were compared with respect to their effects on silyamarin accumulation in S. marianum suspensions with YE-stimulated production (Sanchez-Sampedro et al. 2005). 

Animal studies show many flavonoids protect liver cells from damage induced by toxins such as carbon tetrachloride. Silymarin, the flavonolignan complex from Silybum marianum, is an inducer of phase 1 detoxication, and protects liver mitochondria and micro-somes from lipid peroxidation. This protection also occurs with the flavonoids quercetin and taxifolin. Silymarin causes hepatic regeneration and increases hepatic glutathione in vivo. 

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