Using of expired silymarin medication as a source of biologically active compounds and green synthesis of nanoparticles

The law demands that each drug manufacturers display the expiration date on drugs. The drug is likely to lose some potency after the expiration date, but it is not clear how much potency has been lost in the period after the expiration date. The antioxidant activity of silymarin was determined by various methods, such as the scavenging capacity of DPPH and ABTS•+, and compared with ascorbic acid to determine whether the antioxidant activity of silymarin still exists after its expiration date. TLC was used to separate silymarin compounds and ensure their purity. FTIR was used to measure the quality and quantity of silymarin and identify its compounds. Silymarin extract was used as a reducing agent, converting AgNO3 into AgNPs using magnetic stirring. The results indicated that silymarin has strong antioxidant activity that persists at high temperatures and an acidic pH. The study proved that even after silymarin’s validity period, it could still maintain efficacy, stability, and biological activity. In conclusion, expired silymarin can be recycled by using simple techniques that enable the detection of the compounds they contain, the number of functional groups, and the presence (or absence) of their stability and activity.