Milk thistle is a member of the Asteraceae or daisy family. Generally, it is the fruit or seed that is used medicinally.
Uses and Benefits:
Milk thistle is typically employed as a hepato-protectanl or to treat established liver disease. This application is based on a long tradition of use for liver, spleen, and biliary disorders. A standardized formulation has been studied by European researchers and promoted for prevention or treatment of all types of liver damago.
Pharmacology:
Milk thistle seeds contain silymarin, a mixturo of three primary flavonolignans: silybin (also known as silybinin or silibinin), silychristin, and silydianin. Silybin is the most abun dant. There are several potential mechanisms by which theso compounds may protect the liver from hepatotoxins, or treat es tablished liver disease.
In vitro, silybin is an antioxidant that reduces lipid peroxidation and scavenges radicals in human platelets, white blood cells, and endothelial cells. These antioxidant properties limit depletion of important endogenous antioxidants such as glutathione and su
