Mechanistic Insights into the Pharmacological Significance of Silymarin

Abstract

Medicinal plants are considered the reservoir of diverse therapeutic agents and have been traditionally employed worldwide to heal various ailments for several decades. Silymarin is a plant-derived mixture of polyphenolic flavonoids originating from the fruits and akenes of Silybum marianum and contains three flavonolignans, silibinins (silybins), silychristin and silydianin, along with taxifolin. Silybins are the major constituents in silymarin with almost 70–80% abundance and are accountable for most of the observed therapeutic activity. Silymarin has also been acknowledged from the ancient period and is utilized in European and Asian systems of traditional medicine for treating various liver disorders. The contemporary literature reveals that silymarin is employed significantly as a neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-viral, anti-hypertensive, immunomodulator, anti-inflammatory, photoprotective and detoxification agent by targeting various cellular and molecular pathways, including MAPK, mTOR, β-catenin and Akt, different receptors and growth factors, as well as inhibiting numerous enzymes and the gene expression of several apoptotic proteins and inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, the current review aims to recapitulate and update the existing knowledge regarding the pharmacological potential of silymarin as evidenced by vast cellular, animal, and clinical studies, with a particular emphasis on its mechanisms of action.

Effects of Dietary Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Supplementation in Ducks Fed Mycotoxin-Contaminated Diets

“…Interstitial fibrosis and interstitial infiltration of lympho- and histiocytes can usually occur as a result of liver cell tissue damage and repair during poultry fattening and the mild form is asymptomatic [ 23 ]. Silymarin and its bioactive constituents are able to hinder the progression of initial liver fibrosis and has been proven as hepatoprotective [ 38 ]. Fibrosis and inflammation produce fibrous scarring through the activation of myofibroblasts in the liver, which consequently exudes extracellular matrix proteins.…”

Pharmacological potential of zonisamide and Nigella sativa per se and combination in high‐impact trauma device‐induced traumatic brain injury in Drosophila melanogaster

“…Recently, plants and herb's low toxicity and cost‐effectiveness have gained attention to investigate potential pharmacological activities in them [18]. Nigella sativa (NS) is an herb belonging to the family Ranunculaceae and its seeds are conventionally used to treat various diseases around the globe [19].…”

Ameliorative Effects of Isoeugenol and Eugenol against Impaired Nerve Function and Inflammatory and Oxidative Mediators in Diabetic Neuropathic Rats

“…Apart from the impairment of glucose and lipid metabolism, attention has also recently been focused on the role of inflammation as one of the mechanisms of diabetic complications. It has been speculated that inflammation and the precursor of pro-inflammatory cytokine production contribute to adverse diabetic complications, such as insulin resistance and DPN [ 42 ]. However, these phytochemicals can modulate inflammatory, oxidative, and cell proliferative processes that are responsible for the initiation of several metabolic disorders.…”