Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a native plant of Mediterranean Sea areas. Silymarin, an extract from its seeds, is used in various liver diseases for its hepatoprotective effects. It contains silymarin flavonoids (SF) such as silybin, silydianin and silychristin. Cyclosporin A (CsA) is widely used as an immunosuppressant in organ transplantations. Its other applications in many autoimmune d...

Silymarin prevents liver disease in many experimental rodent models, and is the most popular botanical medicine consumed by patients with hepatitis C. Silibinin is a major component of silymarin, consisting of the flavonolignans silybin A and silybin B, which are insoluble in aqueous solution. A chemically modified and soluble version of silibinin, SIL, has been shown to potently reduce hepatit...

Women at high risk of developing breast cancer are prescribed selective estrogen response modulators, including raloxifene, as chemoprevention. Patients often seek complementary and alternative treatment modalities, including herbal products, to supplement prescribed medications. Milk thistle preparations, including silibinin and silymarin, are top-selling herbal products that may be consumed b...