Milk thistle, or Silybum marianum as it is scientifically called, is an annual to biennial plant that can grow up to two meters high. It is mainly found in southern Europe, North Africa and western Asia.
Milk thistle - to protect the liver function of your animal patients
15 September 2023 — by Linn Masch
Do your patients suffer from liver inflammation or chronic liver disease? You can support liver function with the active ingredients in milk thistle.
Hinsichtlich Lebererkrankungen ist die Mariendistel die am besten untersuchte Pflanze.
Ingredients
The most important component of milk thistle is silymarin. It is found throughout the plant, especially in the fruits and seeds. Silymarin is a molecular mixture of three isomeric flavonolignans, silybin, silydianin and silychristin. Silybin is the main isomer of milk thistle and has the highest biological activity. Milk thistle also contains oil, which consists mainly of linoleic and oleic acids. Linoleic acids are unsaturated fatty acids and belong to the omega-6 fatty acids due to the position of their double bond. As part of the cell membrane, they are necessary for growth and repair processes. The oleic acids belong to the unsaturated omega-9 fatty acids and must be consumed as an essential part of the diet. The mucilage contained in oleic acids can store fluid and thus form a gelatinous mass that can aid the digestive process.
Effect
The liver is the body's largest metabolic organ. It is the production site for various proteins, antibodies and bile. Almost all orally absorbed pharmaceuticals are subject to the so-called "first-pass effect" in the liver. After absorption in the intestine, the active ingredients reach the liver via the portal vein, where they are already partially metabolized. Only a portion of the active ingredients is available to the body for further systemic distribution.
Milk thistle has antioxidant, liver cell-protecting, antihepatotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties. First and foremost, silymarin stabilizes hepatocytes by regulating cell membrane permeability. As a result, oxidation processes and transport through the cell membrane of the hepatocytes are reduced. It can also act as a toxin blocker and protect the liver from the penetration of toxins. Silymarin also supports the regeneration and new formation of liver cells. Silymarin inhibits the 5-lipoxygenase signaling pathway (LOX) and thus the formation of leukotrienes, the messengers of inflammation. Free oxygen radicals, which are produced for example by UV radiation, heat or pollutants, can be intercepted by silymarin. In general, milk thistle strengthens and protects the liver so that it can carry out its physiological tasks unhindered.
Areas of application
Milk thistle can be used to support hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and toxic liver damage. The isomer silibinin serves as an antidote in cases of poisoning with the green tuber leaf fungus Amanita phalloides, which can cause liver failure. It is suitable for prophylactic use in cases where the liver has been weakened by certain substances such as medicines or chemical environmental toxins.
