Use of Milk Thistle in Farm and Companion Animals: A Review

Abstract

Milk thistle, Silybum marianum, is a medicinal plant grown for its bioactive compounds with well-documented antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. Milk thistle has a well-established pharmacological reputation for treatments of human liver disease, but it is also used in animals. This review summarizes the experimental evidence of milk thistle’s effects on animals when administered as silymarin extract (feed additive) or a feed ingredient, if administered as seed or expeller/cake with the seed residue still containing the bioactive components. The use as a feed additive or feed ingredient is motivated by the complexity of silymarin registration as a veterinary drug. In farm animals the drug improves the animals’ performance and product quality and oxidative stability, supports liver function during productive life-cycle, improves gut-health and morphology, and can reduce intestinal pathogens. In dogs and cats the treatment is focused on acute and chronic liver diseases including the detoxification processes and support of drug treatments including chemotherapy. In equine athletes milk seed cake showed positive effects and a faster return of cortisol to the resting values before exercise occurred. In aquaculture it confirms its usefulness in supporting animal health and performance. In certain studies it is not clear what has been administered, and the composition and doses are not always clearly reported. A few studies reported no effects, but none reported problems connected to milk thistle administration. However, the overall picture shows that the use of milk thistle results in improved or restored health parameters or better animal performance.

Restoring Activity of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L.) on Serum Biochemical Parameters, Oxidative Status, Immunity, and Performance in Poultry and Other Animal Species, Poisoned by Mycotoxins: A Review

“…The pharmacological potential of MT is well documented by existing data that confirm the safety and tolerability of its herbal preparations in various settings related to hepatic disorders, and in farm animals to support their performance and health [29]. Detailed information on the multifunctional and multitarget activity and the potential mechanism of action of MT and derivative products were reported in the European Medicines Agency (EMA) report [25] and by Tedesco and Guerrini [29]. In the liver, SIL suppresses the increase in the hepatic enzymes, such as ALT, AST, and ALP, during liver damage, associated with the ribosomal RNA synthesis induced by SIL, improving liver regeneration and preventing the transformation of stellate hepatocytes into myofibroblasts [30][31][32], conducing to the restoration of normal liver functions and enzymes production at a normal value [33,34].…”

“…Mycotoxicosis inhibits poultry health, and consequently their performance, such as growth reducing feed consumption, digestion, absorption, enzymatic activity, and protein metabolism. In some studies, the MT potential to improve or prevent further worsening of the performance and quality parameters of products, such as poultry meat [29,75], was investigated when the performance can be worsened by MyT intoxication.…”

“…The pharmacological potential of MT is well documented by existing data that confirm the safety and tolerability of its herbal preparations in various settings related to hepatic disorders, and in farm animals to support their performance and health [29]. Detailed information on the multifunctional and multitarget activity and the potential mechanism of action of MT and derivative products were reported in the European Medicines Agency (EMA) report [25] and by Tedesco and Guerrini [29].…”

“…Various experimental studies were performed to demonstrate the hepatoprotective action of MT/SIL as a feed ingredient or feed additive, and their activity to restore health parameters and performance in farm animals, as previously described in "Use of Milk Thistle in Farm and Companion Animals: A Review" [29]. The present review aims to discuss the role and the effects of MT in MyT-poisoned animals in restoring the serum biochemical, and oxidative parameters, immunity, and performance, analyzing in vitro and in vivo studies.…”

Treatment of animals with fatty liver disease using a drug based on the seeds of Silybum marianum

“…Analysis of the literature sources revealed that over recent decades, drugs made from S. marianum have been successfully used to treat patients with liver pathologies, both animals and humans. Experimental in vitro and in vivo studies exhibited strong hepatoprotectory effect of S. marianum as a fodder or a supplement to fodder for agricultural animals and poultry (Khaleghipour et al, 2019;Gutyj et al, 2022;Tedesco & Guerrini, 2022;Lieshchova & Brygadyrenko, 2023). Hepatoprotectors are important means for treating animals and humans with liver pathologies.…”