Silymarin in Dermatology: A Brief Review

Background: Silymarin, a flavonoid with antioxidant activities and extracted from milk thistle (Silybum marianum), previously used for its liver protection activity has been recently tested for dermatologic disorders Objectives: Our purpose was to summerize all the dermatologic oriented in vitro and in vivo experiments and clinical trials on silymarin. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to investigate all the available data and summarize all the clinical trials, case reports and original articles on silymarin. Two major databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) were searched. Results: We have gone over about 26 articles. Silymarin, has been shown to have anticarcinogenic effects against ultraviolet radiation which makes it an ideal agent for supplementing sunscreens protection. Silymarin has also been effective in overcoming rosacea, melasma, vitiligo and psoriasis. Conclusions: Even though there are some promising results with silymarin in dermatologic conditions but its human efficacy is not sufficiently explored as yet.