Silybum, Milk Thistle

Mary's Thistle, Carduus Mariae, Carduus lacteus

Parkinson, Theatrum Botanicum, 1640

New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563

Chaumeton, Flore médicale, 1829

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Botanical name:
Silybum marianum (syn. Carduus marianus)

Parts used:
Seed; herb; rarely the root

Temperature & Taste:
Temperate, dry. Bitter
cuts, opens, gently binds

Classification:
B. Clear Heat and Toxin

Uses:
1. Clears Liver Heat and Damp, Benefits the Liver:
-Cirrhosis, acute and chronic Hepatitis, fatty Liver
-Liver damage from chemicals, toxins, alcohol, viruses, and diabetes
-Jaundice, pain in the sides, and Gallstones (esp seeds)
-used to treat or prevent hangovers
-Tumors, Cancer; Salmon said it ‘wastes cold swellings’; early stages of Breast Cancer (Haller, Lexicon, 1755)
-Excess Menstruation or other Bleeding from Liver heat
-Diabetes from Heat
-Leukorrhea, Diarrhea

2. Clears Heat, Resists Poison:
-against Poison and Venom
-boiled up in the Spring as a Blood cleanser
-Eczema, Acne, Psoriasis
-prevent and cure the infection of the Plague
-Fever; 'High Fever' (Haller, Lexicon, 1755)
-seeds were traditionally used for Hydrophobia.

3. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine, Clears Stones:
-Gravel, Stones of the Bladder or Gall Bladder
-Edema

4. Clears Lung Heat, Stops Cough:
-an excellent Pectoral; Cough, Bronchitis, Asthma and Wheezing
-Pleurisy
-some said it strengthens the Lungs (Culpeper said the Syrup strengthened the Lungs)

5. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis:
-Varicose veins and poor venous circulation of the lower body
-enlarged or varicose veins of the legs due to engorgement of the Spleen

6. Promotes Milk

7. Clears Melancholy:
-Some old authors claimed it to be one of the best medicines for Melancholy.

8. Externally:
i. applied to Ulcers, including Varicose Ulcers and Rodent Ulcers
ii. also applied to Swellings, Tumors and Cancers. The strong seed decoction has been applied to Cancers with benefit.
iii. as a gargle for Toothache

DOSE:
Herb or Seed may be used in similar doses
Powder: 2–4 grams of the Seed or Herb (half–1 dram)
Decoction: 3–9 grams

SUBSTITUTE:
Used similarly to Carduus Benedictus. Carduus was more highly regarded in the past.

CORRECTIVE:
Licorice

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Main Combinations:
1. Liver and Gall Bladder disorders, Milk Thistle seed is used with Dandelion and Chicory root (Kroeber)
2. Liver disease:
i. Milk Thistle seed with Dandelion root and leaf, Peppermint
ii. Milk Thistle seed with Turmeric, Celandine, Wormwood
3. Gall Stones:
i. Milk Thistle seed with Dandelion, Nettle, Birchii. Milk Thistle seed with Saxifrage, Celandine, Peppermint, Yarrow (Türk)
4. Hepatitis:
i. Milk Thistle seed with Echinacea, Dandelion
ii. Hepatitis C, Milk Thistle seed, Licorice, Picrorriza, Tamarisk, Rose (a tested patent medicine called Hepcinol)
5. Alcoholic Liver disease, Milk Thistle, Pueraria lobata (see research)
6. High Cholesterol, Milk Thistle seed, Barberry bark
7. Lung Heat and Inflammation, Milk Thistle seed with Red Poppy and Pearl
8. Diabetes, High Blood Sugar:
i. Milk Thistle seed, Barberry (see research below)
ii. Milk Thistle seed with Bilberry leaf, Birch leaf, Fumitory, Bean Pods
iii. Frankincense, Milk Thistle seed, Nettle (this combination has been studied and found effective)
9. Cancer tea: Menyanthes, Hops, Calendula, Clematis recta, Milk Thistle seed, Celandine (Wesenberg)
10. Muscular Atrophy, Milk Thistle, Wthania, Fenugreek (see research)

Cautions:
Generally Safe and well tolerated.

SAFETY
–Review of clinical trials evaluating safety and efficacy of milk thistle (Silybum marianum [L.] Gaertn.).

Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water

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GENERAL / REVIEW
–Milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.)Gaertn.): An overview about its pharmacology and medicinal uses with an emphasis on oral diseases.
–A review on the mechanisms of the effect of silymarin in milk thistle (Silybum marianum) on some laboratory animals.
–Health Benefits of Silybum marianum: Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Applications.
–The food plant Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.: Phytochemistry, Ethnopharmacology and clinical evidence.
–Silybin, a Major Bioactive Component of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L. Gaernt.)-Chemistry, Bioavailability, and Metabolism.
–Silybum marianum: Beyond Hepatoprotection.
–New therapeutic potentials of milk thistle (Silybum marianum).
–Advances in the use of milk thistle (Silybum marianum).

ANTIBACTERIAL
–Antimicrobial and Histological Data Effect of Silybum marianum and Suaeda vermiculata Against Doxorubicin Induced Toxicity in Male Rats.
–Effects of Potassium Sulfate [K2SO4] on The Element Contents, Polyphenol Content, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Milk Thistle [Silybum Marianum].

ANTIFUNGAL
–Antifungal Activity against Fusarium culmorum of Stevioside, Silybum marianum Seed Extracts, and Their Conjugate Complexes.

ANTIOXIDANT
–Extraction, Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Property, and In-vitro Anticancer Activity of Silymarin from Silybum marianum on Kb and A549 Cell Lines.
–Antioxidant and Anti-aging Activities of Silybum Marianum Protein Hydrolysate in Mice Treated with D-galactose.
–Effects of Potassium Sulfate [K2SO4] on The Element Contents, Polyphenol Content, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Milk Thistle [Silybum Marianum].
–Assessment of the Antioxidant Activity of Silybum marianum Seed Extract and Its Protective Effect against DNA Oxidation, Protein Damage and Lipid Peroxidation.
–Fatty acids, essential oil and phenolics composition of Silybum marianum seeds and their antioxidant activities.

IMMUNOSTIMULATORY
–Biochemical and immunological basis of silymarin effect, a milk thistle (Silybum marianum) against ethanol-induced oxidative damage.
–Immunostimulatory effect of Silybum Marianum (milk thistle) extract.

NEUROPROTECTIVE
–Neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) on neurons in culture.

CARDIOPROTECTIVE
–Triglyceride-induced cardiac lipotoxicity is mitigated by Silybum marianum.
–Silybum marianum provides cardioprotection and limits adverse remodeling post-myocardial infarction by mitigating oxidative stress and reactive fibrosis.

GASTROPROTECTIVE
–Gastroprotection induced by silymarin, the hepatoprotective principle of Silybum marianum in ischemia-reperfusion mucosal injury: role of neutrophils.

NEPHROPROTECTIVE
–Silybum marianum (milk thistle) improves vancomycin induced nephrotoxicity by downregulating apoptosis.
–Role of silymarin (Silybum marianum) in the prevention of colistin-induced acute nephrotoxicity in rats.
–Renoprotective effects of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn (Silymarin) on thioacetamide-induced renal injury: Biochemical and histopathological approach.
–Protective effect of Silybum marianum and Taraxacum officinale extracts against oxidative kidney injuries induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats.

HEPATOPROTECTIVE
–Hepatoprotective mechanism of Silybum marianum on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease based on network pharmacology and experimental verification.
–Cytotoxic, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Silybum marianum variety albiflorum growing in Egypt.
–Evaluating the protective efficacy of Silybum marianum against deltamethrin induced hepatotoxicity in piscine model.
–Treatment with milk thistle extract (Silybum marianum), ursodeoxycholic acid, or their combination attenuates cholestatic liver injury in rats: Role of the hepatic stem cells.
–Hepatoprotective effects of a self-micro emulsifying drug delivery system containing Silybum marianum native seed oil against experimentally induced liver injury.
–Hepatoprotective Effect of Silymarin (Silybum marianum) on Hepatotoxicity Induced by Acetaminophen in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.
–Hepatoprotective Effects of Silybum marianum (Silymarin) and Glycyrrhiza glabra (Glycyrrhizin) in Combination: A Possible Synergy.
–Silybum marianum (milk thistle) in the management and prevention of hepatotoxicity in a patient undergoing reinduction therapy for acute myelogenous leukemia.
–Silymarin, the antioxidant component and Silybum marianum extracts prevent liver damage.
–Protective effect of a mixture of Aloe vera and Silybum marianum against carbon tetrachloride-induced acute hepatotoxicity and liver fibrosis.

PROTECTS FROM CHEMICAL TOXICITY
–Milk thistle (Silybum Marianum) as an antidote or a protective agent against natural or chemical toxicities: a review.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL
–The Effects of a Fixed Combination of Berberis aristata and Silybum marianum on Dyslipidaemia - A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.
–Retrospective analysis of the effects of a highly standardized mixture of Berberis aristata, Silybum marianum, and monacolins K and KA in diabetic patients with dyslipidemia.
–Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum fixed combination (Berberol(®)) effects on lipid profile in dyslipidemic patients intolerant to statins at high dosages: a randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.
–Clinical role of a fixed combination of standardized Berberis aristata and Silybum marianum extracts in diabetic and hypercholesterolemic patients intolerant to statins.
–Berberis aristata combined with Silybum marianum on lipid profile in patients not tolerating statins at high doses.
–Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum fixed combination on lipid profile and insulin secretion in dyslipidemic patients.

LIVER DISEASE
–Milk thistle (Silybum marianum): A concise overview on its chemistry, pharmacological, and nutraceutical uses in liver diseases.
–Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) for the therapy of liver disease.

FATTY LIVER DISEASE
–Therapeutic Effects of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L.) and Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Type 2 Diabetic Rats.
–[Effects of the mixture of Swertia pseudochinensis Hara and Silybum marianum Gaertn extracts on CCl(4)-induced liver injury in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease].

ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE
–A combination of Pueraria lobata and Silybum marianum protects against alcoholic liver disease in mice.
–A review of Silybum marianum (milk thistle) as a treatment for alcoholic liver disease.

CIRRHOSIS
–The clinical utility of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) in cirrhosis of the liver.

CHRONIC HEPATITIS C
–Effects of silybum marianum on patients with chronic hepatitis C.
–Does Silybum marianum play a role in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C?
–Effects of Silybum marianum on serum hepatitis C virus RNA, alanine aminotransferase levels and well-being in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

DIABETES
–Lower glycemic indices and lipid profile among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who received novel dose of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (silymarin) extract supplement: A Triple-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial.
–New amides from seeds of Silybum marianum with potential antioxidant and antidiabetic activities.
–The role of a fixed Berberis aristata/Silybum marianum combination in the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
–Effects of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (silymarin) extract supplementation on antioxidant status and hs-CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
–Clinical role of a fixed combination of standardized Berberis aristata and Silybum marianum extracts in diabetic and hypercholesterolemic patients intolerant to statins.
–The efficacy of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (silymarin) in the treatment of type II diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.
–Study of the hypoglycaemic activity of Fraxinus excelsior and Silybum marianum in an animal model of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

METABOLIC SYNDROME
–Silybum marianum (milk thistle) and its main constituent, silymarin, as a potential therapeutic plant in metabolic syndrome: A review.
–In vitro inhibitory potential of Cynara scolymus, Silybum marianum, Taraxacum officinale, and Peumus boldus on key enzymes relevant to metabolic syndrome. 

ANTI-AGEING
–Antioxidant and Anti-aging Activities of Silybum Marianum Protein Hydrolysate in Mice Treated with D-galactose.
–Instrumental evaluation of anti-aging effects of cosmetic formulations containing palmitoyl peptides, Silybum marianum seed oil, vitamin E and other functional ingredients on aged human skin.

MEMORY IMPAIRMENT
–Phytochemical analysis, molecular docking and antiamnesic effects of methanolic extract of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn seeds in scopolamine induced memory impairment in mice.

OPIATE ADDICATION
–Influence of Silybum Marianum on Morphine Addicted Rats, Biochemical Parameters and Molecular Simulation Studies on µ-Opioid Receptor.

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
–Comparison of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. with fluoxetine in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

MENOPAUSE
–Evaluation of the effect of Silybum marianum extract on menopausal symptoms: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

VITILIGO
–Can we consider silymarin as a treatment option for vitiligo? A double-blind controlled randomized clinical trial of phototherapy plus oral Silybum marianum product versus phototherapy alone.

MUSCULAR ATROPHY
–Identification of Withania somnifera-Silybum marianum-Trigonella foenum-graecum Formulation as a Nutritional Supplement to Contrast Muscle Atrophy and Sarcopenia.

ANTIMUTAGENIC
–Antimutagenic, Antigenotoxic, and Anticytotoxic Activities of Silybum Marianum [L.] Gaertn Assessed by the Salmonella Mutagenicity Assay (Ames Test) and the Micronucleus Test in Mice Bone Marrow.

CANCER
–In-vitro evaluation of antiproliferative potential of various fractions of Silybum marianum using HeLa and HepG2 cell lines.
–Extraction, Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Property, and In-vitro Anticancer Activity of Silymarin from Silybum marianum on Kb and A549 Cell Lines.
–Cytotoxic, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Silybum marianum variety albiflorum growing in Egypt.
–[Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum) as a Supportive Phytotherapeutic Agent in Oncology].
–Effects of aqueous extract from Silybum marianum on adenosine deaminase activity in cancerous and noncancerous human gastric and colon tissues.
–Future directions for research on Silybum marianum for cancer patients.
–Clinical applications of Silybum marianum in oncology.
KIDNEY
–Tackling of Renal Carcinogenesis in Wistar Rats by Silybum marianum Total Extract, Silymarin, and Silibinin via Modulation of Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis, Nrf2, PPARγ, NF-κB, and PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathways.
LIVER
–Silybum marianum total extract, silymarin and silibinin abate hepatocarcinogenesis and hepatocellular carcinoma growth via modulation of the HGF/c-Met, Wnt/β-catenin, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways.
–The chemopreventive effect of Ginkgo biloba and Silybum marianum extracts on hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.
PROSTATE
–Silymarin Enriched Extract (Silybum marianum) Additive Effect on Doxorubicin-Mediated Cytotoxicity in PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cells.
–Gram-scale purification of flavonolignan diastereoisomers from Silybum marianum (Milk Thistle) extract in support of preclinical in vivo studies for prostate cancer chemoprevention.
–Milk thistle and prostate cancer: differential effects of pure flavonolignans from Silybum marianum on antiproliferative end points in human prostate carcinoma cells.
SKIN
–Anticancer and antimutagenic activity of Silybum marianum L. and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. against skin cancer induced by DMBA: In vitro and in vivo models.
STOMACH
–Investigation of Compositions and Effect of Herbal Essential Oils Local Silybum Marianum, Foeniculum Vulgare and Glycyrrhiza Glabra on Cell Line of Stomach Cancer by MTT Assays in Ardabil, Iran.

CHEMOTHERAPY INDUCED TOXICITY
–Antimicrobial and Histological Data Effect of Silybum marianum and Suaeda vermiculata Against Doxorubicin Induced Toxicity in Male Rats.
–Silybum marianum (milk thistle) in the management and prevention of hepatotoxicity in a patient undergoing reinduction therapy for acute myelogenous leukemia.

WOUND
–Evaluation the effect of Silybum marianum ointment on episiotomy wound healing and pain intensity in primiparous women: a randomized triple blind clinical trial.
–Dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol from Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn accelerates wound healing via inactivating NF-κB pathways in macrophages.
–Effect of topical application of silymarin (Silybum marianum) on excision wound healing in albino rats.
–The effect of silymarin (Silybum marianum) on human skin fibroblasts in an in vitro wound healing model.