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Silymarin (Milk Thistle)

Among the antioxidants useful in rosacea silymarin is undoubtably among the most beneficial.

When used in high concentrations on an ongoing basis silymarin demonstrates impressive non-steroidal efficacy against skin inflammation, degradation from ultraviolet light which escapes capture or reflection by sunscreens, and in helping prevent optional signs of aging, particularly fine lines and discolouration, due to the cumulative burden of unmetered free radical damage.

Silymarin is a single constituent of the milk thistle plant (silybum marianum) found in varying amounts in other members of the Aster family of plants. It is a polyphenolic flavonoid, possessing a white to slightly yellow plant pigment. The plant derives its name from the white fluid which comes from all parts of the plant when cut.

While native to the Mediterranean, milk thistle is found throughout the world in dry, sunny areas and has been used medicinally for over 2,000 years, most commonly for the treatment of liver and gallbladder disorders.

Other names for the plant include Marian Thistle, Mary Thistle, St Mary's Thistle, Mediterranean Milk Thistle and Variegated Thistle. Historically, the plant has also been consumed.

Within silymarin, there exists another constituent known as silybin (also known as silibinin) which is considered to be the most potent antioxidant found within the milk thistle plant.

Tests performed on human skin have shown that constituents of silymarin possess marked anti-inflammatory, photoprotective and anti-carcinogenic properties, if applied before and even after daylight exposure.

Photoprotective and anti-inflammatory antioxidants are of great interest in rosacea research because they have the potential to help prevent and treat rosacea symptoms while potentially reducing reliance on sunscreens which do not offer perfect protection.

Studies routinely show that sunscreens only prevent approximately half the damage attributable to ultraviolet.

One highly attractive aspect of silymarin is that unlike sunscreens, once absorbed, it can retain its ability to protect skin from light for several days.

Topical silymarin is a welcome addition to the dermatologic armamentarium against rosacea.

Treatment with Silymarin

The highest concentration of pharmaceutical-grade silymarin is used in Rosacea Intensive Night Nurturing Complex.

It is also found in two sunscreens: Attend SPF 50+ and De-Sensitising Barrier Fluid SPF 50, and the daily care products Rosacea Treatment Cream and Treatment Fluid.

All Silymarin + Rosacea References

• Rosacea Skin Care Resolutions
• Anti-Inflammatory Creams for Rosacea
• Anti-Aging
• Act on Early Rosacea Symptoms to Prevent/Stem Worsening
• New — Silymarin Crystal Serum
• Oil-Free Antioxidant Daily Wear Sunscreen SPF 50
• Antioxidant Sunscreens
• Intensive Night Nurturing Complex
• Silybin
• Glycation and Skin Aging
• Evening Pure Stimulus Retinaldehyde

Silymarin References

Dermatology Online Journal, Volume 6, Number 1.

Combined effects of silymarin and methylsulfonylmethane in the management of rosacea: clinical and instrumental evaluation. Berardesca E, Cameli N, Cavallotti C, Levy JL, Piérard GE, de Paoli Ambrosi G. San Gallicano Dermatological Institute, Rome, Italy. berardesca@berardesca.it

Silymarin and skin cancer prevention: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects (Review). Katiyar SK. Department of Dermatology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.

Chemopreventive Efficacy of Silymarin in Skin and Prostate Cancer, Gagan Deep, PhD, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, Integrative Cancer Therapies, Vol. 6, No. 2, 130-145 (2007).

Svobodová A, Psotová J, Walterová D. Natural phenolics in the prevention of UV-induced skin damage [PDF]. A review. Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub 147(2):137-45 (2003 Dec).

Dhanalakshmi S, Mallikarjuna GU, Singh RP, et al. Silibinin prevents ultraviolet radiation-caused skin damages in SKH-1 hairless mice via a decrease in thymine dimmer positive cells and an up-regulation of p53-p21/Cip 1 in epidermis. Carcinogenesis 25(8):1459-65 (2004 Aug).

Melbourne Dermatology Silymarin Monograph and Silymarin Improves Rosacea (accessed 15/5/10).

Additional Silymarin References

Hogan F, Krishnegowda N, Mikhailova M, Kahlenberg M. (2007). Flavonoid, silibinin inhibits proliferation and promotes cell-cycle arrest of human colon cancer. J Surg Res 143:58-65.

Tamayo C, Diamond S. (2007). Review of clinical trials evaluating safety and efficacy of milk thistle (Silybum marianum [L.] Gaertn.). Integrative Cancer Therapies.6:146-157.

Hogan F, Krishnegowda N, Mikhailova M, Kahlenberg M. (2007). Flavonoid, silibinin inhibits proliferation and promotes cell-cycle arrest of human colon cancer. J Surg Res 143:58-65.

Gazák R, Walterová D, Kren V (2007). "Silybin and silymarin — new and emerging applications in medicine." Curr. Med. Chem. 14 (3): 315—38. doi:10.2174/092986707779941159. PMID 17305535.

Rainone F. (2005). Milk thistle. American Family Physician. 72:1285-1288.

Greenlee H, Abascal K, Yarnel E, Ladas E. (2007). Clinical applications of Silybum marianum in oncology. Integrative Cancer Therapies 6:158-165.

Kroll DJ, Shaw HS, Oberlies NH.(2007). Milk thistle nomenclature: why it matters in cancer research and pharmacokinetic studies. Integrative Cancer Therapies.6:110-119.

Hogan F, Krishnegowda N, Mikhailova M, Kahlenberg M. (2007). Flavonoid, silibinin inhibits proliferation and promotes cell-cycle arrest of human colon cancer. J Surg Res 143:58-65.

Rainone F. (2007). Milk thistle. American Family Physician. 72:1285-1288.

Huseini HF, Larijani B, Heshmat R et al. (2006). The efficacy of Silybum marianum (L.)Gaertn. (silymarin) in the treatment of type II diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Phytother Res.20:1036-1039.

Gordon A, Hobbs DA, Bowden DS et al. (2006). Effects of Silybum marianum on serum hepatitis C virus RNA alanine aminotransferase levels and well-being in patients with chronic hepatitis C. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 21:275-280.

Greenlee H, Abascal K, Yarnel E, Ladas E. (2007). Clinical applications of Silybum marianum in oncology. Integrative Cancer Therapies 6:158-165.

Tamayo C, Diamond S. (2007). Review of clinical trials evaluating safety and efficacy of milk thistle (Silybum marianum [L.] Gaertn.). Integrative Cancer Therapies.6:146-157.

Rambaldi A, Jacobs BP, Iaquinto G, Gluud C (2005). Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C liver diseases--a systematic cochrane hepato-biliary group review with meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials. Am. J. Gastroenterol. 100 (11): 2583—91. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.00262.x. PMID 16279916.

Szilard S, Szentgyorgyi G, Dhanalakshmi S et al. (1988). Protective effect of Legalon in workers exposed to organic solvents. Acta Med Hung. 45:249-256.

Palasciano G, Portincasa P, Palmieri V et al. (1994). The effect of silymarin on plasma levels of malon-dialdehyde in patients receiving long-term treatment with psychotropic drugs. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 55:537-545.

American Botanical Council (2007). Intravenous Milk Thistle Compound Used to Save Victims of Poisonous Mushrooms. HerbalGram (74): 16.

Agarwal R, Agarwal C, Ichikawa H, Singh RP, Aggarwal BB. Anticancer potential of silymarin: from bench to bed side. Anticancer Res. 2006 Nov-Dec;26(6B):4457-98. Review.

Asghar Z, Masood Z. Evaluation of antioxidant properties of silymarin and its potential to inhibit peroxyl radicals in vitro. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2008 Jul;21(3):249-54.

Gazak R, Walterova D, Kren V. Silybin and silymarin -- new and emerging applications in medicine. Curr Med Chem. 2007;14(3):315-38. Review.

Hoh C, Boocock D, Marczylo T, Singh R, Berry DP, Dennison AR, et al. Pilot study of oral silibinin, a putative chemopreventive agent, in colorectal cancer patients: silibinin levels in plasma, colorectum, and liver and their pharmacodynamic consequences. Clin Cancer Res. 2006 May 1;12(9):2944-50.

Jiang C, Agarwal R, Lu J. Anti-angiogenic potential of a cancer chemopreventive flavonoid antioxidant, Silymairn: inhibition of key attributes of vascular endothelial cells and angiogenic cytokine secretion by cancer epithelial cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2000;276:371-378.

Köksal E, Gülçin I, Beyza S, Sarikaya O, Bursal E. In vitro antioxidant activity of silymarin. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem. 2009 Apr;24(2):395-405.

Low Dog T. Traditional and alternative therapies for breast cancer. Altern Ther Health Med. 2001;7(3):36-47.

Mayer KE, Myers RP, Lee SS. Silymarin treatment of viral hepatitis: a systematic review. J Viral Hepat. 2005 Nov;12(6):559-67. Review.

Rainone F. Milk thistle. Am Fam Physician. 2005 Oct 1;72(7):1285-8. Review.

Ramasamy K, Agarwal R. Multitargeted therapy of cancer by silymarin. Cancer Lett. 2008 Oct 8;269(2):352-62. Review.

Rambaldi A, Jacobs BP, Iaquinto G, Gluud C. Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C liver diseases — a systematic cochrane hepato-biliary group review with meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials. Am J Gastroenterol. 2005 Nov;100(11):2583-91. Review.

Rotblatt M, Ziment I. Evidence-Based Herbal Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Hanley & Belfus, Inc; 2002:266-271.

Saller R, Brignoli R, Melzer J, Meier R. An updated systematic review with meta-analysis for the clinical evidence of silymarin. Forsch Komplementmed. 2008 Feb;15(1):9-20. Review.

Zielinska-Przyjemska M, Wiktorowicz K. An in vitro study of the protective effect of the flavonoid silydianin against reactive oxygen species. Phytother Res. 2006 Feb;20(2):115-9.

Author: Peter Wilson.

Reviewed: Saturday, October 21, 2017.

Further Information: Silymarin (Milk Thistle) :

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