Silymarin in the Prevention and Treatment of Liver Diseases and Primary Liver Cancer

Fehér, János; Lengyel, Gabriella

doi:10.2174/138920112798868818

Cited by 187 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 61 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

126

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Silymarin is the natural product of most widespread use in the treatment of liver diseases (33), and it is sold over the counter all over the world (34). Its low toxicity encouraged researchers to use silymarin in long-term tests in chronic and severe liver conditions in humans, and its efficacy in the prevention of liver fibrosis and stimulation of liver regeneration was observed in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases and in drug-and chemical-induced hepatic toxicity (35). In viral hepatitis C patients, highdosage studies were performed with silymarin, and silymarin did not show any toxicity (36) and still decreased progression from fibrosis to cirrhosis (37).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silymarin Reduces Profibrogenic Cytokines and Reverses Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Murine Schistosomiasis

Hilton

Dutra

Rocha

et al. 2014

Antimicrob Agents Chemother

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In chronic schistosomiasis, hepatic fibrosis is linked to the portal hypertension that causes morbidity in Schistosoma mansoni infection. Silymarin (SIL) is a hepatoprotective and antioxidant medicament largely prescribed against liver diseases that has previously been shown to prevent fibrosis during acute murine schistosomiasis. Here we employed silymarin to try to reverse established hepatic fibrosis in chronic schistosomiasis. Silymarin or vehicle was administered to BALB/c mice every 48 h, starting on the 40th (80 days of treatment), 70th (50 days), or 110th (10 days) day postinfection (dpi). All mice were sacrificed and analyzed at 120 dpi. Treatment with silymarin reduced liver weight and granuloma sizes, reduced the increase in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, and reduced the established hepatic fibrosis (assessed by hydroxyproline contents and picrosirius staining). Treatment with silymarin also reduced the levels of interleukin-13 (IL-13) in serum and increased the gamma interferon (IFN-␥)/IL-13 ratio. There was a linear correlation between IL-13 levels in serum and hydroxyproline hepatic content in both infected untreated and SIL-treated mice, with decreased IL-13 levels corresponding to decreased hydroxyproline hepatic contents. Treatment with either SIL or N-acetylcysteine reduced both proliferation of fibroblast cell lines and basal/IL-13-induced production of collagen I, indicating that besides inhibiting IL-13 production during infection, SIL antioxidant properties most likely contribute to inhibition of collagen production downstream of IL-13. These results show that silymarin interferes with fibrogenic cytokines, reduces established fibrosis, and inhibits downstream effects of IL-13 on fibrogenesis, indicating the drug as a safe and cheap treatment to liver fibrotic disease in schistosomiasis. Schistosomiasis is a chronic disease of high prevalence and wide distribution around the world (1) caused by worms that parasitize the vascular system. The morbidity in schistosomiasis is associated with the arrival of worm eggs to the liver and the stimulation of a granulomatous reaction (2). Chronic liver pathology is closely associated to the nature of the host inflammatory response. The immunological progression of this disease is frequently divided in distinct phases: prepostural acute Th1 phase, postural acute Th2 phase, and chronic Th2 downmodulated phase (3). The control of this Th response throughout the chronic phase may be associated with the reduction of morbidity in schistosomiasis. During acute murine infection, administration of antioxidant drugs such as curcumin (4), resveratrol (5), n-acetylcysteine (6), artemether (7), and silymarin (8) is used to reduce morbidity and prevent hepatic fibrosis. The reversal of established hepatic fibrosis at the chronic stage is directly linked to the portal hypertension, the major cause of morbidity in Schistosoma mansoni infection, and was not attained in any of these previous works. Currently, there is no medical treatmen...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silymarin Reduces Profibrogenic Cytokines and Reverses Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Murine Schistosomiasis

Hilton

Dutra

Rocha

et al. 2014

Antimicrob Agents Chemother

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Silymarin has membrane-stabilizing and antioxidant activities, it promotes hepatocyte regeneration, reduces inflammatory reactions, and inhibits fibrogenesis. These properties have been established in experimental and clinical trials [79]. The compounds that are responsible for the medicinal properties of herbals are usually secondary metabolites.…”

Section: Hepatoprotective Effects Of Mushroom Extractsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hepatoprotective Effects of Mushrooms

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The particular characteristics of growth and development of mushrooms in nature result in the accumulation of a variety of secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds, terpenes and steroids and essential cell wall components such as polysaccharides, β-glucans and proteins, several of them with biological activities. The present article outlines and discusses the available information about the protective effects of mushroom extracts against liver damage induced by exogenous compounds. Among mushrooms, Ganoderma lucidum is indubitably the most widely studied species. In this review, however, emphasis was given to studies using other mushrooms, especially those presenting efforts of attributing hepatoprotective activities to specific chemical components usually present in the mushroom extracts.

show abstract

“…Silymarin is a bioactive extract of the fruits of Silybum marianum and contains seven fl avolignans (silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A, isosilybin B, silychristin, isosilychristin, and silydianin) with reported chemoprevention and hepatoprotective properties (Feher and Lengyel, 2012).…”

Section: Silybum Marianum (L) Gaertn (Asteraceae)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Endophytic fungi residing in medicinal plants have the ability to produce the same or similar pharmacologically active secondary metabolites as their hosts

Venieraki

Dimou

Katinakis

2017

Hellenic Plant Protection Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SummaryMedicinal plants have been used for thousands of years in folk medicines and still are used for their health benefi ts. In our days medicinal plants are exploited for the isolation of plant-derived drugs as they are very eff ective and have relatively less or no side eff ects. However, the natural resources of medicinal plants are gradually exhausted and access to plant bioactive compounds is challenged by the low levels at which these products accumulate in native medicinal plants. For instance, to meet the market demands of 3 Kg per year of vinca alkaloids, powerful plant-derived anticancer drugs, 1.5x106 Kg dry leaves are required. In this regard, this review aims to highlight the fact that endophytic fungi residing in medicinal plants are capable to biosynthesize pharmacologically active secondary metabolites similar or identical to those produced by their host medicinal plant. Furthermore, the evolutionary origin of the genes involved in these metabolic pathways as well as the approaches designed to enhance the production of these metabolites by the isolated endophytic fungi are also discussed.Additional key words: metabolites from endophytic bacteria and actinomycetes, chemical ecology present in virtually all organs of a given plant host, and some are seed borne. Endophytes often confer considerable benefi ts to the host plant they inhabit, since they can promote the growth of host plants, enhance resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses (Rodriguez et al., 2009; Hardoim et al., 2015), and accumulate bioactive secondary metabolites (Kusari et al., 2012). The ecological role of secondary metabolites produced by endophytes is not clear. However, recent studies have shown that these metabolites are involved in deterrence of herbivory (Pannaccione et al., 2014), protection against fungal (Soliman et al., 2015) or bacterial pathogens (Mousa et al., 2017) and amelioration of plant abiotic stress (Hamayum et al., 2016). Bioactive secondary metabolites derived from medicinal plants are gradually decreasing -Alternative approaches for their productionMedicinal plants, as a rich source of nat-

show abstract

Silymarin in the Prevention and Treatment of Liver Diseases and Primary Liver Cancer

Cited by 187 publications

References 61 publications

Silymarin Reduces Profibrogenic Cytokines and Reverses Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Murine Schistosomiasis

Silymarin Reduces Profibrogenic Cytokines and Reverses Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Murine Schistosomiasis

Hepatoprotective Effects of Mushrooms

Endophytic fungi residing in medicinal plants have the ability to produce the same or similar pharmacologically active secondary metabolites as their hosts

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About