Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University Mohammed V in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.
Laboratory of Human Pathology Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Genomic Center of Human Pathology, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Jan 30;265:113303. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113303. Epub 2020 Sep 1.
Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. or Milk thistle is a medicinal plant native to Northern Africa, Southern Europe, Southern Russia and Anatolia. It also grows in South Australia, North and South America. In traditional knowledge, people have used S. marianum for liver disorders such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and gallbladder diseases. The main active compound of the plant seeds is silymarin, which is the most commonly used herbal supplement in the United States for liver problems. Nowadays, S. marianum products are available as capsules, powders, and extracts.
The aim of our study is to draw a more comprehensive overview of the traditional heritage, pharmacological benefits and chemical fingerprint of S. marianum extracts and metabolites; as well as their metabolism and bioavailability.
An extensive literature search has been conducted using relavant keywords and papers with rationale methodology and robust data were selected and discussed. Studies involving S. marianum or its main active ingredients with regards to hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, cardiovascular protection, anticancer and antimicrobial activities as well as the clinical trials performed on the plant, were discussed here.
S. marianum was subjected to thousands of ethnopharmacological, experimental and clinical investigations. Although, the plant is available for use as a dietary supplement, the FDA did not yet approve its use for cancer therapy. Nowadays, clinical investigations are in progress where a global evidence of its real efficiency is needed.
S. marianum is a worldwide used herb with unlimited number of investigations focusing on its benefits and properties, however, little is known about its clinical efficiency. Moreover, few studies have discussed its metabolism, pharmacokinetics and bioavailability, so that all future studies on S. marianum should focus on such areas.
水飞蓟（L.）Gaertn. 或奶蓟草是一种原产于北非、南欧、俄罗斯南部和安纳托利亚的药用植物。它也生长在南澳大利亚、北美和南美。在传统知识中，人们用水飞蓟草治疗肝脏疾病，如肝炎、肝硬化和胆囊疾病。该植物种子的主要活性化合物是水飞蓟素，它是美国最常用的肝脏问题草药补充剂。如今，水飞蓟草产品有胶囊、粉末和提取物。
我们研究的目的是更全面地概述水飞蓟草提取物和代谢物的传统遗产、药理作用和化学指纹图谱；以及它们的代谢和生物利用度。
使用相关关键词进行了广泛的文献检索，并选择和讨论了具有合理方法和可靠数据的论文。讨论了涉及水飞蓟草或其主要活性成分的研究，这些成分具有保肝、抗糖尿病、心血管保护、抗癌和抗菌活性，以及对该植物进行的临床试验。
水飞蓟草已经接受了数千项民族药理学、实验和临床研究。尽管该植物可作为膳食补充剂使用，但 FDA 尚未批准其用于癌症治疗。如今，正在进行临床研究，需要全球证据证明其真正的疗效。
水飞蓟草是一种全球使用的草药，有无数的研究关注其益处和特性，但对其临床疗效知之甚少。此外，很少有研究讨论其代谢、药代动力学和生物利用度，因此未来所有关于水飞蓟草的研究都应集中在这些领域。
