Review
Plant Sciences
Ilias Marmouzi, Abdelhakim Bouyahya, Shahira M. Ezzat, Meryem El Jemli, Mourad Kharbach
Summary: Milk thistle is a widely studied medicinal plant used for liver disorders, with its main active compound silymarin being commonly used as a herbal supplement. Despite numerous ethnopharmacological, experimental, and clinical investigations, its clinical efficacy remains uncertain, requiring further studies to validate its benefits.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Vasiliki Liava, Anestis Karkanis, Nikolaos Tsiropoulos
Summary: The study found that nitrogen fertilization significantly influenced the growth and fruit yield of milk thistle, with high nitrogen levels leading to increased fruit yield. However, nitrogen fertilization did not impact the accumulation of oil and silymarin in the fruits, although it did affect oil and silymarin yield.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Muhammad aamir Shehzad, Mubarak Ali Khan, Amir Ali, Sher Mohammad, Ahmed Noureldeen, Hadeer Darwish, Asif Ali, Ayaz Ahmad, Tariq Khan, Raham Sher Khan
Summary: The study demonstrated that Zinc Oxide nanoparticles have a positive impact on callus growth and silymarin biosynthesis in milk thistle, enhancing secondary metabolite accumulation and antioxidant system activity. This research provides a standardized protocol for industrial production of silymarin through the use of ZnO NPs.
ARTIFICIAL CELLS NANOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Maryam Aziz, Farhan Saeed, Nazir Ahmad, Aftab Ahmad, Muhammad Afzaal, Shahzad Hussain, Abdellatif A. Mohamed, Mohamed S. Alamri, Faqir Muhammad Anjum
Summary: The study evaluated the antioxidant potential and nutritional composition of milk thistle, highlighting significant differences in composition among different varieties and locations. Blue variety outperformed White in terms of nutrition, while Islamabad was the best location based on the results.
FOOD SCIENCE & NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Luming Jia, Fei Zhao
Summary: This study evaluated the anti-fatigue properties of silymarin and found that it can decrease blood lactate and ammonia levels, increase muscle and liver glycogen content, and reduce creatine kinase activity after exercise. In addition, the observation of skeletal muscle structures confirmed that silymarin treatment resulted in less muscle damage compared to the control group after endurance exercise.
FOOD SCIENCE AND HUMAN WELLNESS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Roberto Marceddu, Lucia Dinolfo, Alessandra Carrubba, Mauro Sarno, Giuseppe Di Miceli
Summary: Milk thistle is a versatile crop with reliable source of silymarin. Although there have been many studies on its bioactivity, phytochemistry, and genetics, research on its agronomy and farm opportunities is limited. However, its multiple potential uses and reduced need for external inputs make it an interesting alternative crop, especially for marginal environments.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fadia El Sherif, Yun-Kiam Yap, Sarah Alamer, Duaa Althumairy, Salah Khattab
Summary: This study aimed to promote plant growth and enhance the production of silybin (A + B) in Silybum marianum seeds by irradiating them with a He-Ne laser at 632.8 nm. The results showed that all laser seed treatments increased plant growth, with the highest yield observed in the 10-min treatment. Plants from the 6-, 8-, and 10-min laser-irradiated seeds had increased fruit silybin (A + B) content and chalcone synthase gene expressions. The highest silybin (A + B) contents were observed in plants from the 6-min-irradiated seeds, and the corresponding fruit extract exhibited elevated cell growth inhibition.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
C. Palaric, S. Atwi-Ghaddar, Q. Gros, C. Hano, E. Lesellier
Summary: Supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide is an effective and environmentally friendly method for extracting natural compounds from plants. This study focuses on the extraction of lipids and flavonolignans from milk thistle seeds using different solvents and conditions. The results provide insights into the optimal extraction parameters and methods.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Noreen Zahra, Abdul Wahid, Muhammad Bilal Hafeez, Mohammed Nasser Alyemeni, Tariq Shah, Parvaiz Ahmad
Summary: Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn is a well-known medicinal plant, mainly used for silymarin content and oil production. This study focused on analyzing the Sily content in milk thistle ecotypes from different regions under salt stress, and the application of plant growth promoters showed positive effects on alleviating the deleterious effects of salinity stress and improving the quality and quantity parameters of milk thistle. Ecotypic variations with altered achene color patterns proved to be advantageous for higher Sily extraction under salt-stressed conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Magda Jablonowska, Petar Ciganovic, Jasna Jablan, Eva Margui, Michal Tomczyk, Marijana Zovko Koncic
Summary: This study compared the efficiency of maceration using glycerol/water mixtures with ethanol/water maceration for extracting silymarin from Silybum marianum fruit. The results showed that ultrasonication significantly improved extraction efficiency, with glycerol extraction resulting in a silymarin content similar to that of ethanol extraction.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ahlem Ikhlef, Hamid Ait-Amar, Lakhdar Khelifi, Smain Chemat
Summary: In this study, different elicitors were used to treat plant cell cultures of Silybum marianum L. It was found that yeast extract was the most effective elicitor in enhancing the accumulation of silybin.
JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ansar Javeed, Maqsood Ahmed, Allah Rakha Sajid, Aatika Sikandar, Muhammad Aslam, Talfoor ul Hassan, Samiullah, Zahid Nazir, Mingshan Ji, Cong Li
Summary: This study evaluated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and chemical profile of extracts from different parts of Silybum marianum. The results revealed the presence of various chemical compounds in the extracts, as well as significant antioxidant activity. These findings suggest the potential therapeutic effects of Silybum marianum extracts.
Article
Plant Sciences
Tommaso Martinelli, Flavia Fulvio, Marco Pietrella, Laura Bassolino, Roberta Paris
Summary: This study investigated two contrasting chemotypes of S. marianum and revealed that chemotype differentiation in S. marianum is a metabolically regulated process driven by a monogenic heritable factor involved in silydianin biosynthesis. Transcriptome sequencing of the fruit shell during active silymarin accumulation identified dirigent-like transcripts as the main difference between the two chemotypes, suggesting their possible role in chemotype differentiation process.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Muzamil Shah, Hasnain Jan, Samantha Drouet, Duangjai Tungmunnithum, Jafir Hussain Shirazi, Christophe Hano, Bilal Haider Abbasi
Summary: The study investigated the effects of chitosan on the production of bioactive flavonolignans in Silybum marianum suspension cultures. The results demonstrated that chitosan treatment significantly increased biomass production and the accumulation of active compounds such as flavonolignans.
Article
Plant Sciences
Helena Pluhackova, Barbora Kudlackova, Lenka Svojanovska, Michal Roth, Marta Bradacova, Marie Bjelkova
Summary: Understanding the impact of growing conditions on milk thistle is crucial for producing food products rich in health-beneficial compounds. A randomized cultivation trial was conducted in the Czech Republic over two growing seasons, and the results showed that weather conditions and row spacing significantly influenced the evaluated parameters. The highest yields were obtained in the 2021 growing season with a row spacing of 37 cm.
PLANT FOODS FOR HUMAN NUTRITION
(2023)