Cho Sungbo, Nyachoti Charles Martin, Kim In Ho
Department of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea.
Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea.
J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2025 Sep 19;16(1):126. doi: 10.1186/s40104-025-01260-3.
The widespread ban on in-feed antibiotics in many regions has driven the search for natural alternatives to maintain health and production efficiency in swine and poultry. Phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) derived from herbs and plant extracts have emerged as promising candidates owing to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Among these, silymarin-a flavonolignan complex extracted from milk thistle (Silybum marianum)-has attracted particular attention due to its hepatoprotective and growth-promoting activities. This review summarizes the chemical characteristics and mechanisms of action of silymarin/silybin. Also, evidence from both experimental and field studies shows that silymarin improves growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut health, and reproductive outcomes. Advances in formulation technologies, such as micellization, have been addressed for improved bioavailability of silymarin. Despite these promising results, further long-term field studies and economic evaluations are needed to fully integrate silymarin into commercial animal production systems.
许多地区对饲料中抗生素的广泛禁令促使人们寻找天然替代品，以维持猪和家禽的健康及生产效率。源自草药和植物提取物的植物源饲料添加剂（PFAs）因其抗氧化、抗炎和抗菌特性而成为有前景的候选物。其中，水飞蓟宾——一种从水飞蓟（Silybum marianum）中提取的黄酮木脂素复合物——因其保肝和促进生长的活性而备受关注。本综述总结了水飞蓟宾/水飞蓟素的化学特性和作用机制。此外，实验研究和田间研究的证据均表明，水飞蓟宾可改善生长性能、养分消化率、肠道健康和繁殖性能。文中还讨论了诸如胶束化等制剂技术的进展，以提高水飞蓟宾的生物利用度。尽管取得了这些令人鼓舞的结果，但仍需要进一步的长期田间研究和经济评估，以便将水飞蓟宾全面纳入商业动物生产系统。
