Thistles

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). 

T raditionally, milk thistle fruits have been used for disorders of the liver, spleen, and gall bladder, such as jaundice and gall bladder colic. Milk thistle has also been used for nursing mothers for stimulating milk production, as a bitter tonic, for hemorrhoids, for dyspeptic complaints, and as a demulcent in catarrh and pleurisy. It is stated to possess hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and choleretic properties (128). Current interest is focused on the hepatoprotective activity of milk thistle and its use for the treatment of liver, spleen, and gall bladder disorders (129). Recently it has been shown that silibinin reduced prostate-specific antigen levels in prostate carcinoma cells lines, indicating a possible role of silibinin in human prostate cancer (130,131). 

Studies of the pharmacokinetics of silymarin and of a silibinin-phosphatidyl-choline complex preparation (IdB 1016 silipide) in humans as well as rodents have been performed. Because silibinin is the main compound, pharmacokinetic parameters of silymarin and the active principle of any silymarin-containing products are always referred to, and standardized, as silibinin. 

The bioavailability of silibinin from the extract is low and seems to depend on several factors such as (i) the content of accompanying substances with a solubilizing character such as other flavonoids, phenol derivatives, aminoacids, proteins, tocopherol, fat, cholesterol, and others found in the extract and (ii) the concentration of the extract itself (132,133). The systemic bioavailability can be enhanced by adding solubilizing substances to the extract (11,134). The bioavailability of silibinin can also be enhanced by the complexation with phosphatidylcholine or p-cyclodextrin, and possibly by the choice of the capsule material (135-137). The variations in content, dissolution, and (oral) bioavailability of silibinin between different commercially available silymarin products—despite the same declaration of content—are significant (138). 

Therefore, comparisons between studies should be carried out with caution and consider the differences between the analytical methods used and whether free, conjugated, or total silibinin is the object of measurement (129). Systemic plasma concentrations are usually measured, even though the site of action of silymarin is the liver, because they provide an estimate on the quantity of the drug being absorbed from the GI tract. 

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Arsenic present only in traces (in any form) can be detected by reducing it to arsine and then applying tests for the latter. In Marsh s test, dilute sulphuric acid is added dropwise through a thistle funnel to some arsenic-free zinc in a flask hydrogen is evolved and led out of the flask by a horizontal delivery tube. The arsenic-containing compound is then added to the zinc-acid solution, and the delivery tube heated in the middle. If arsenic is present, it is reduced to arsine by the zinc-acid reaction, for example ... 

Eupatin (69, R = H) and Eupatoretin (69, R = CH3), which are isolated from thistle perennials, show moderate cytotoxicity against human carcinoma of the nasopharynx (236). Baicaleia (70) salts exhibit antiallergic and antiinflammatory activity. 3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenoxyacetamides are hypotensives and diuretics and are useful for controlling arrhythmia duting anesthesia (237). 

Parts Caraway 20 Parts Javanese turmeric 30 Parts Dandelion 20 Parts Milk-thistle herb 20 Parts Peppermint leaves... 

From Bidens species 5-metbyl 5 -butadienyl-2 -bithienyl (245) has been isolated, the constitution of which was eonfirmed synthetically. Another 2,2 -bithienyl derivative has been isolated as an additional nematodicidal principal of the roots of Tagetes, for which strueture (246) has been suggested. On the other hand Sorensen et aL have isolated from the thistles, Berkheya macrocepkala and Echinops spareocephalm, a compound with very similar UV and IR spectra as (246) for which they suggested structure (247), based on... 

Eber, m. boar hog. -esche, /. mountain ash, service tree, -raute, /. southernwood, abro-tanum (Artemisia abrotanum). -wurz, -wur-zel, /. carline thistle (Carftna) carline root. Ebne, n. plane plain, ebnen, t.t. level, flatten, smooth, plane. ebulUeren, v.t. boil up break out. ebullioskopisch, a. ebullioscopic. Bcballiumsaure, /. ecballic acid. 

Frau,/. woman wife lady Mrs. Frauen-arzt, m. gynecologist, -distel, /. Scotch thistle, -eis, n. (Min.) se lenite. 

Glocken-giesser, m. bell founder, -gut, -metall, n., -speise, /. bell metal, -trichter, m. bell fimnel (as on a thistle tube), -verfahren, n. bell process, bell method, -wischer, m. bell-type scrubber. 

Marien-bad, n. water bath, -distel, /. milk thistle (Silybum marianum). -glas, n. selenite (ruasisches) mica. -kSfer, m. ladybird. -kSmer, n.pl. milk-thistle seed. 

By extraction of the fruits of Silybwn inarianwn Gaertn. (milk thistle) and column chromatographic purification. 

With very few exceptions, naturally occurring acids and alkalies are weak. All acids known in antiquity were of organic origin some occur in fruits, especially in unripe fruitjuices. Most ancient alkalies were derived from the ash of plants such as barilla, Salsola soda and Salsola kali (Russian thistle), and kelp. 

Canada thistle Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., quack grass E.s repens (L.) Gould, barnyard grass E. crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., monochoriaMonochoria vaginalis (Burm. F.) C. Presl ex Kunth Wild mustard Sinapis arvensis L. 

The most promising allelopathic weeds are hawkweeds (Hieracium spp.). They are effective in reducing other asteraceous weeds (Murphy and Aarssen 1995b) and yellow hawkweed (H. pratense Tausch.) inhibited Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.), perennial sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis L.), yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.), and annual sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus L.) however, the long-term effect on perennial species is unclear (Murphy 2001). 

I also figured out that certain foods were contributing to my brain fog, so I avoided those and started making my breakfast from an immune support recipe I was given, with milk thistle, lecithin, flax seed and all kinds of things in it. Gradually, my total load of chemicals was reduced and I got my brain back. Then there was so much hope ... 

Chromatographic profiles of calendula, milk-thistle and passion flower tinctures (each 60 per cent v/v, ethanol) are shown in Fig. 2.50. Analytes were well separated under the... 

Fig. 2.50. Profiles of calendula (a), milk-thistle (b) and passion flower (c) tinctures (each 60 per cent v/v, ethanol) with the HPLC-MS attributions of the components detected, lc = quercetin-3-O-ruti-nosylrhamnoside 2c = rutin 3c = isorhamnetin-3-O-ruti-nosylrhamnoside 4c = isoquercitrin 5c = isorhamnetin-3-O-gluco-sylglucoside 6c = narcissin 7c = isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside lm = taxifolin 2m = siliydianin 3m = silychristin 4m = oxy derivative of silybin/isosilybin isomers 5m and 6m = 2,3-dehydro derivatives of silybin/isosilybin isomers 7m = silybin 8m = isosilybin lp = 6,8-diC-glucosylapigenin 2p = isoschaftoside 3p = shaftoside 4p = homoorientin 5p = isovetexin-2"-0-glucoside 6p = vitexin. Reprinted with permission from A. R. Biha et al. [150].

LIST AND AMOUNTS (MG/ML MEANS SD OF RESULTS FROM THREE REPLICATE ANALYSES) OF FLAVONOLS PRESENT IN CALENDULA. FLAVOLIGNANS IN MILK-THISTLE AND FLAVONS PASSION FLOWER TINCTURES... 

A.R. Bilia, D. Salvini, G. Mazzi and F.F. Vincieri, Characterization of calendula flower, milk-thistle fruit, and passion flower tinctures by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS. Chromatographia 53 (2001) 210-215. 

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