Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

Milk thistle is a well known and commonly used herb, used particularly in hepatic diseases. It has very potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties (1). As a single agent its therapeutic effects in liver disease appear to be modest (2,3,4,5). Herbal medicines and supplements are likely to be much more beneficial when used synergistically in combinations or formulas. Milk thistle preparations have also shown promise in vitro in the treatment of malignancies. They have been shown to have beneficial cell cycle and antiangiogenic properties (6,7), and inhibition of telomerase activity (8). They have been tested in various tumor types with promising effects (7,8).