Silybum marianum

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) is a medicinal plant of the Asteraceae family that has been used for over 2,000 years, primarily for the treatment of hepatic and biliary disorders [1, 14, 17]. It is not a single molecular target but a botanical source of silymarin, a standardized complex of flavonolignans including silybin, silydianin, and silychristin [3, 11]. Silymarin exerts its therapeutic effects by stimulating nucleolar RNA polymerase I, which increases ribosomal protein synthesis and promotes the regeneration of liver tissue [6, 16, 24]. Additionally, it acts as a potent antioxidant by scavenging free radicals and stabilizing hepatocyte membranes to prevent toxin penetration, while also inhibiting pro-inflammatory pathways like NF-κB [2, 5, 21]. Clinically, it is used as a complementary therapy for chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and it serves as a critical antidote for amatoxin poisoning from mushrooms [4, 13, 22].

Other names

SilymarinSilybinSilibininMarian ThistleMary ThistleHoly ThistleSaint Mary's ThistleBlessed MilkthistleCarduus marianus

Stimulation of nucleolar RNA polymerase I to enhance protein synthesis and liver regeneration; competitive inhibition of toxin binding to hepatocyte membranes; inhibition of NF-kappaB and TNF-alpha signaling to reduce inflammation; direct antioxidant scavenging of reactive oxygen species; and inhibition of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in HCV models [2, 6, 10, 20].