Silymarins

Substances containing aldehyde or keto groups yield yellow to orange-yellow chromatogram zones on an almost colorless background [1,11]. Silymarin appears red-blue and silydianine ochre-colored [9]. 

Polyethylene glycol 4000 silymarin enhancement 5% in ethanol, optimum for fluorescence after 24 h [274]... 

In addition to their possible prooxidant activity (see above) polyphenols and flavonoids may influence cancer cells via their antioxidant properties. Recently, Jang et al. [219] studied cancer chemopreventive activity of resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound derived from grapes (Chapter 29). These authors showed that resveratrol inhibited the development of preneoplastic lesions in carcinogen-treated mouse mammary glands in culture and inhibited tumorigenesis in a mouse skin cancer model. Flavonoids silymarin and silibinin also exhibited antitumor-promoting effects at the stage I tumor promotion in mouse skin [220] and manifested antiproliferative effects in rat prostate cancer cells [221]. 

Gazak R, Walterova D, Kren V. (2007) Silybin and silymarin — new and emerging applications in medicine. CurrMed Chem 14 315-338. 

Bhatia N, Zhao J, Wolf DM, Agarwal R. (1999) Inhibition of human carcinoma cell growth and DNA synthesis by silibinin, an active constituent of milk thistle Comparison with silymarin. Cancer Lett 147 77-84. 

Velussi M, Cemigoi AM, De Monte A, Dapas F, Caffau C, Zilli M. (1997) Long-term (23 months) treatment with an anti-oxidant drug (silymarin) is effective on hyperinsulinemia, exogenous insulin need and malondialde-hyde levels in cirrhotic diabetic patients. J Hepatol 26 871-879. 

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