Description
SilymarinisaflavonolignanmixturefoundinSilybum(milkthistle)seeds;itexhibitsantiviral,anti-inflammatory,anti-fibrotic,hepatoprotective,neuroprotective,immunosuppressive,antioxidative,andanticanceractivities.SilymarininhibitsinfluenzavirusproliferationbysuppressingviralRNAsynthesis.Inanimalmodelsofbenignprostatichyperplasia(BPH),silymarindecreasesinflammation,collagendeposition,andlevelsofiNOS,COX-2,NF-κB,IL-6,IL-8,andHIF-1α.Inanimalmodelsoffibrosis,silymarindecreasesoxidativestress,fibrosisdevelopment,andlevelsofα-SMAandTGF-β1.SilymarinshowspotentialbenefitinmodelsofParkinson’sdiseaseandAlzheimer’sdisease,inhibitingaggregationofproteinssuchasamyloid-β(Aβ).InactivatedTcells,silymarininducesG1phasecellcyclearrestanddecreasesmTORsignaling.ThiscompounddecreaseslipidperoxidationandincreasesrADIcalscavengingandlevelsofglutathioneinvivo.Inovariancancercells,silymarinincreasesexpressionofPTEN,decreasessignalingbyAktandexpressionofBcl-2,inducesapoptosis,andinhibitscellularproliferation;italsoinhibitstelomeraseactivity.