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Biological Based Systems
Milk Thistle, Silybum marianum
(Also known as Marian, St. Mary's, Our Lady's Thistle)
Main Constituents Silymarin, a flavoniod that contains silybin (silibinin), silychristin, and silydianin.
 Possible Applications
Milk thistle has been used as an age-old remedy for liver health and ailments. In the Commission E Monographs translated by the American Botanical Council, milk thistle is an approved herb for the treatment of toxic liver damage, and adjunctive treatment in chronic inflammatory liver disease and hepatitis. Milk thistle may also be an effective treatment for cirrhosis of the liver.
Common, but less scientifically evaluated, uses for milk thistle preparations include functional disorders of the liver and gallbladder. Also, many cancer survivors take milk thistle during and following chemotherapy with the hope of preventing/correcting possible damage to their liver from the treatment.
Milk thistle has also become a very popular detoxifying ingredient in a number of yet to be validated detoxifying preparations and programs. It is proposed to aid in digestion and elimination by stimulating the flow of bile.
Adverse Reactions and Drug Interactions
No adverse reactions have been reported when milk thistle is taken as advised. Long term use does not seem to pose additional problems, either. Milk thistle does, however, have a mild laxative effect due to the increased bile flow and secretion.
Drug interaction have been reported with Acetaminophen, the herb yohimbine, phentolamine, Butryrophenones or Phenothiazines, chemotherapy drugs-Cisplatin and Ifosfamide, and Cyclosporine.
Proposed Doses
Capsules/tablets - preparations should be standardized to 70-80% silymarin, with 140mg Doses taken 2-3 times a day; a total dose of 420mgs.
Tea - 12-15gms (2-3 tsp) of dried, powdered seeds. To prepare an infusion, add the powder to one cup of boiling water The majortiy of research on Milk thistle has been conducted using capsules/tablets, not teas.
Tinctures - (not standardized)- 10-25 drops up to three times a day.
Scientific Rationale
Evaluations of milk thistle have demonstrated that it operates through three methods of action:
1. It alters the structure of the outer cell membrane of the hepatocytes to prevent penetration of a liver poison.
2. It stimulates the action of nucleolar polymerase A, resulting in increased ribosomal protein synthesis, thus stimulating the regenerative ability of the liver and the formation of new hepatocytes.
3. It functions as an antioxidant to protect the liver, and the livers' glutathione stores. This antioxidant activity is ten-times more potent than the antioxidant activity of vitamin E.
Limited in vitro research using silibinin to treat breast cancer and hormone-refractory prostate cancer seems promising but needs expansion and duplication by multiple research teams.
Limited animal research on the topical application of silymarin in the prevention of skin cancer seems to be promising but needs expansion and duplication by multiple research teams.
References
1. Physician's Desk Reference on Herbal Medicine. Montvale, NJ:Medical Economics Company; 2000.
2. Alternative Medicine, Expanding Medical Horizon: A Report to the NIH on Alternative Medical Systems and Practices in the United States. Washington DC: National Institutes of Health; 1994.
3. Herb Chart drafted by June H. McDermott, MS Pharm MBA.
4. Blumenthal M et al. Commission E Monographs. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 1998.
5. Tyler VE, Foster S. The Honest Herbal. Binghamton, NY: Pharmaceutical Products Press/Haworth Press;1998.
6. Zi X et al. Silibinin decreases prostate-specific antigen with cell growth inhibition via G1 arrest, leading to differentiation of prostate carcinoma cells: implications for prostate cancer intervention. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1999;96(13):7490-7495.
7. Lahiri-Chatterjee M et al. A flavonoid antioxidant, silymarin, affords exceptionally high protection against tumor promotion in the SENCAR mouse skin tumorigenesis model. Cancer Res. 1999;59(3):622-632.
8. Zi M et al. Anticarcinogenic effect of a flavonoid antioxidant, silymarin, in human breast cancer cells MDA-MB 468: induction of G1 arrest through an increase in Cip1/p21 concomitant with a decrease in kinase activity of cyclin-dependent kinases and associated cyclins. Cl Cancer Res. 1998; 4(4):1055-1064.
9. Website http://www.onemedicine.com
10. McCaleb R, Leigh E, Morien K. The Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs. Roseville, CA. Prima Health.2000.
11. DeBusk RM, Treadwell PR. Herbs as Medicine: What you should know. Tallahassee, FL. DeBusk Communications. 2000.
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