Description of Silymarin

Silymarin is a flavonolignan compound extracted from the seed coat of the silymarin seed of the Asteraceae medicinal plant. This substance is insoluble in water, soluble in acetone, ethyl acetate, methanol and ethanol, and slightly soluble in chloroform.

Its main components include silybin, isosilybin, silybinin and silymarin. The main active ingredient in silymarin is silybin, which accounts for about 50% to 70% of the total amount of silymarin and is the most active and effective ingredient in silymarin.

Silymarin is not a fruit. It belongs to the Asteraceae herb. Its fruit seeds are used as medicine. It is not a fruit itself, but its fruit can be used to protect the liver.

Silymarin first protects and stabilizes the liver cell membrane of the liver, which can significantly improve liver function and produce the effect of reducing alanine and aspartate aminotransferase. Secondly, it is not easy to rebound after reducing the transaminase, so silymarin is mainly used for patients with elevated alanine and aspartate aminotransferase and can be used in moderation in cases of liver damage.

Silymarin is widely used in medicines, health products, food, cosmetics and other products. It can also be used in animal husbandry as a feed additive.

What are the benefits of silymarin?

Liver protection

Silymarin has a protective effect on the liver and can protect liver cells from toxic substances, especially alcohol and environmental pollutants (pesticides, heavy metals, etc.) that invade and damage the liver. Silymarin can inhibit the activity of fatty acid synthase and triglyceride synthase in liver cells, thereby reducing liver fat deposition, reducing liver burden, and preventing liver damage. This effect has a certain therapeutic effect on diseases such as alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Antioxidant function

Silymarin has a strong antioxidant function, which can scavenge free radicals, prevent lipid peroxidation caused by oxidative stress, and has the effect of anti-oxidative damage. It can protect liver cells from free radical damage, and its antioxidant effect is stronger than vitamin E.

Anti-inflammatory

Silymarin can inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1β, thereby reducing the inflammatory response of the liver. It has a relieving effect on symptoms such as liver redness, swelling, and pain caused by acute or chronic hepatitis.

Promote protein synthesis

Silymarin can promote protein synthesis and accelerate the manufacture of new products, which helps to speed up the manufacture of new liver cells or repair damaged liver cells.

Promote bile secretion

Silymarin can stimulate the release of cholecystokinin and increase bile secretion, and has a certain therapeutic effect on digestive system diseases such as cholestatic jaundice.

Anti-cardiovascular disease

Studies have shown that silymarin can improve the ability to resist LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which has a certain effect on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

How does silymarin protect the liver?

Silymarin can obtain free radicals, block the pathological process of lipid peroxidation, normalize lipid metabolism in damaged liver cells, and then play an antioxidant role. It removes oxygen free radicals, reduces the level of inflammation in liver cells, reduces cytotoxicity, and thus eliminates liver inflammation.

It prevents the loss of dissolved cell components, protects the enzyme system of liver cells, maintains the integrity of liver cells, and prevents toxins from penetrating and damaging the liver. Silymarin can promote the restoration of liver cell ultrastructure, promote the division and growth of normal liver cells, and improve the ability of liver cells to synthesize RNA and protein, thereby improving the repair and regeneration ability of liver cells.

It enhances the ability of the reticuloendothelial system to produce macrophages, strengthens the activity of macrophages, accelerates the clearance of viruses, and thus improves liver function. It can inhibit the activation of liver stellate cells by various cytokines and avoid the occurrence of liver fibrosis.

Is Silymarin Really an Antioxidant?

Silymarin is a natural compound that has antioxidant properties in skin cells. Flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides are the main components of silymarin, and studies have shown that both components can reduce hydrogen peroxide production in keratinocytes and limit hydrogen peroxide-related skin cell death.

In one study, silymarin was found to have a dose-dependent antioxidant effect in normal human skin fibroblasts. Interestingly, the lowest dose of silymarin, 0.0001%, had the greatest antioxidant effect in the hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress model. This conclusion is particularly important because it emphasizes the importance of preclinical studies to select the appropriate antioxidant concentration to best protect the skin from oxidative stress. This preclinical testing of antioxidant capacity is not limited to silymarin, but should be extended to other antioxidants, which can help optimize the concentration selection of natural products to be incorporated into effective skin care ingredients for patient use.

Silymarin has demonstrated its photoprotective properties in animal skin models. In mouse models, silymarin treatment reduced UVB-induced intracellular hydrogen peroxide production in the epidermis and dermis of the skin. In addition, silymarin protects against UVB-induced sunburn. In addition, silymarin has photoprotective properties in human skin by modulating reactive oxygen free radical-related pathways and inhibiting UVB-induced keratinocyte apoptosis through antioxidant mechanisms.

Silymarin has shown anti-fibrotic properties in in vitro models. Silymarin treatment of primary dermal fibroblasts resulted in downregulation of type I collagen synthesis. This downregulation of collagen is due to inhibition of the TGF-β pathway through Smad2/3 signaling.

What can silymarin be used for?

Medical field

Silymarin has the effects of resisting oxidative stress, promoting protein synthesis and cell regeneration. It is a traditional medicine for treating various types of liver diseases and poisonous mushroom poisoning. With the deepening of basic research, it has the effects of regulating cell cycle, inducing cell apoptosis, inhibiting neovascularization, anti-inflammatory, lipid-regulating and neuroprotective.

Health care products field

The application of silymarin in health care products is mainly as a liver protection ingredient. It can effectively help the liver eliminate toxins, reduce excessive cholesterol and triglycerides in the human body, and excrete toxins from the "common bile duct" after being processed by the liver, which has the benefits of purifying blood, detoxifying and beautifying.

Food field

Silymarin can be used as a food additive and added to food to enhance the health value of food. For example, it can be used in the production and processing of functional foods, beverages and health products.

Cosmetic field

Silymarin can also be used in the cosmetics industry because it has a certain antioxidant effect and can effectively remove excessive free radicals in the body to avoid damage to cells in the body.