Phytochemical study of milk thistle, Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.

The milk thistle Silybum Marianum (L.) Gaertn. is one of the medicinal plants with many therapeutic properties. Silymarin is the active ingredient of the milk thistle plant, which is rich in flavonoid and flavonolignan compounds, and its therapeutic effects have been widely mentioned in medicine. The seed extract of this plant, known as silymarin, protects the liver against various types of poisoning, including Amanita mushrooms and alcohol. However, the results of several studies have shown that silymarin also inhibits the development of prostate and liver cancer. This plant is of great importance due to its medicinal flavonolignans, which are effective in treating various liver diseases, hepatitis, blood lipids, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc. Therefore, the present study investigates the pharmacological, phytochemical, and physiological properties of the milk thistle plant and its biologically active compounds. The phytochemical extract was examined in three parts of the plant: seeds, leaves, and stems, and its anticancer properties were examined. The finding illustrated that the highest amount of total flavonoids was found in the seeds and stems, followed by the leaves of the plant. Also, these results showed that the effect of time on the amount of flavonoids in this plant and the interaction effect of its harvest month factor on the flavonoids level were significant. It can be concluded that the highest rate of activity in neutralizing free radicals of cancer cells was observed in the seed extract of the plant.