Evaluation of the silymarin content in Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Cultivated under different agricultural conditions

Abstract

An HPLC assay for the determination of silymarin in the fruits of Silybum marianum is given. The effect of different water regimes and nitrogen fertilization levels on the silymarin content of cultivated plants grown in reclaimed desert land have been studied. The highest silymarin contents were obtained upon nitrogen fertilization with 100, 150 kg/feddan (1 feddan=4200 m? and a 60% water regime without fertilization compared to the content of silymarin in wild plants.

Silymarin treatment of viral hepatitis: a systematic review

“…Silymarin is not regulated in North America, and the silymarin content of milk thistle extracts can vary from 40 to 80% [26]. The geographical source and cultivating conditions of the herbs also affect composition [7,27,28]. The pharmacokinetics of various silymarin preparations have been studied.…”

IMPROVEMENT OF SILYMARIN CONTENT IN CELL CULTURES OF Silybum marianum BY COPPER SULPHATE ELICITOR

“…Unfortunately, traditional cultivation of Silybum marianum plants meats several agricultural problems that reduce the total yield because leaves have spiny margins and the flowers are also spiny and consequently, cultural practices manipulation during growth is very difficult especially during harvest. Furthermore, using the combine machine causes crop yield damage that reaches to 40% loss during harvest stage [Hammouda et al 1993]. Although secondary metabolites can be synthesized by chemical and microbial methods, the cost is very expensive in most cases.…”

Issues related to botanicals

“…Various studies have established that environmental factors such as soil, light, water, temperature and nutrients affect phytochemical accumulation in plants, as exemplified by alkaloid concentrations of 1.3% and 0.3%, respectively, in Atropa belladonna grown in the Caucasus and those cultivated in Sweden (McChesney, 1999); essential oil content in shade-grown (1.09%) and normal light-grown (1.43%) Mentha piperita plants (Flaster, 1999); and by the silymarin content being highest in the fruits of plants grown under 60% water/field capacity (1.39%) and nitrogen level of 100 (1.46%) and 150 kg (1.42%) per feddan (Hammouda et al, 1993). Manufacturer factors deal with collection of the plants from the wild, as well as in commercial cultivation, harvest, post-harvest processing, shipping and storage, where by each of these factors can influence the physical appearance and chemical quality of the botanical source materials.…”