Journal of Food Bioactives, ISSN 2637-8752 print, 2637-8779 online
Journal website www.isnff-jfb.com

Review

Volume 10, June 2020, pages 53-63

Total phenolic content, free radical scavenging capacity, and anti-cancer activity of silymarin

Figure

Figure 1.
Figure 1. Chemical components of silymarin and their chemical structures.

Tables

Table 1. Total phenolic content of silymarin
 
Source/Extraction method/SolventExtract concentrationTotal phenolic contentReference
Abbreviation: GAE, Gallic acid equivalents.
Silymarin extract from Darou-Pakhs pharmaceutical company–0.484 ± 0.017 mg GAE/mg of silymarinAsghar and Masood, 2008
Silymarin powder from Sigma Aldrich1, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/mL560.2 ± 19.5, 6055.2 ± 214, 7255.3 ± 308.6, 13,016.0 ± 538.9, and 23,088.8 ± 1730.3 mg GAE/mg of silymarin powderMalekinejad et al., 2012
Milk thistle seed/Stirring/Methanol1 g/ 100 mL18.33 ± 0.16 mg GAE/g of milk thistle seedTupe et al., 2013
Milk thistle seed/Soxhlet/Ethanol0.5 g of milk thistle seeds/mL45.31 mg GAE/g of dry weight milk thistle seedIsmaili et al., 2016
Milk thistle seed/Shaking/Methanol0.25 mg/mL29 mg GAE/g dry weightMhamdi et al., 2016
Silymarin extract from Berlin pharmaceutical industry/Maceration/Ethanol–233.37 ± 7.53 mg GAE/g of extractPientaweeratch et al., 2016
Milk thistle seed–392.1 ± 5.6 mg GAE/100 gAttia et al., 2017

 

Table 2. Free radical scavenging capacities of silymarin
 
Source/Extraction method/SolventExtract concentrationExperimental methodsFree radical scavenging capacitiesReference
Abbreviations: DPPH, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity assay; ABTS, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging capacity assay; ORAC, Oxygen radical absorbing capacity assay; HOSC, Hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity assay; TE, Trolox equivalents; FE, Flour equivalents.
Silymarin extract purchased from Darou-Pakhs pharmaceutical company–DPPH1.34 mg/mL (EC50)Asghar and Masood, 2008
Milk thistle seed powder/Boiling/Water30 µg of silymarin/mLHOSC78.5%Köksal et al., 2009
DPPH20.8 µg/mL (EC50)
ABTS8.62 µg/mL (EC50)
Silymarin powder from Sigma Aldrich1, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/mLDPPH6.0 ± 0.7, 14.1 ± 1.8, 25.7 ± 3.3, 39.7 ± 2.4, and 54.2 ± 5.6%Malekinejad et al., 2012
Milk thistle seed/Stirring/Methanol1 mg/mLDPPH92.45 ± 1.91%Tupe et al., 2013
ABTS53.44 ± 0.71%
Milk thistle/Soxhlet/Ethanol0.5 g of milk thistle seeds/mLDPPH353.89 ± 3.68 mg TE/g dry weightIsmaili et al., 2016
ABTS805.25 ± 16.90 mg TE/g dry weight
Silymarin extract from Berlin pharmaceutical industry/Maceration/Ethanol–DPPH27.85 ± 0.98 µg/mL (EC50)Pientaweeratch et al., 2016
ABTS12.34 ± 0.21 µg/mL (EC50)
Milk thistle seed/Shaking/Methanol0.25 mg/mLDPPH39 µg/mL (IC50)Mhamdi et al., 2016
Milk thistle seed flour/Sonication/50% acetone200 mg FE/mLDPPH48.61 ± 6.47 µmol TE/gChoe et al., 2019
43 mg FE/mLORAC633.57 ± 267.17 µmol TE/g
40 mg FE/mLHOSC10,420.28 ± 607.58 µmol TE/g
30 mg FE/mLABTS116.16 ± 16.81 µmol TE/g

 

Table 3. Anti-cancer activities of silymarin in different types of cancers
 
CancerExperiment subjectCompound usedReference
BladderN-buthyl-N-(4-hydroxybuthyl) nitrosamine (OH-BBN) induced bladder cancer in miceSilibininTyagi et al., 2007
T24, and UM-UC-3 bladder cancer cell linesSilibininImai-sumida et al., 2017
T24 and J82 bladder cancer cell lines and their chemoresistant bladder cancer cell lines, T24R and J82RSilibininSun et al., 2017
BreastMDA-MB 468 breast cancer cell lineSilymarinZi et al., 1998
MCF-7 breast cancer cell lineSilibininNoh et al., 2011
MCF-7 breast cancer cell lineSilymarinKalla et al., 2014
ColonAzoxymethane (AOM) induced colon cancer in ratSilymarinKohno et al., 2002
Fet, Geo, and HCT-116 colon cancer cell linesSilibininHogan et al., 2006
HT-29 colon cancer cell lineSilibininAkhtar et al., 2014
HCT-116 and SW480 colon cancer cell linesSilymarinEo et al., 2015
GastricMatrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) expression levels in SNU216 and SNU688 gastric cancer cell lines induced with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)SilibininKim et al., 2009
MGC803 gastric cancer cell lineSilibininWang et al., 2014
KidneyCaki-1 renal carcinoma cell lineSilibininLi et al., 2008
ACHN, OS-RC-2, and SW839 renal carcinoma cell linesSilibininLiang et al., 2012
LungSHP-77 and A-549 lung cancer cell linesSilibininSharma et al., 2003
H1299, H460, and H322 lung cancer cell linesSilibininMateen et al., 2010
A549, H1299, and H460 lung cancer cell linesSilymarinSingh et al., 2016
OralHSC-4, YD15, and Ca9-22 oral cancer cell lines and HSC-4 injected xenograft model in ratsSilymarinWon et al., 2018
OvarianA2780 ovarian cancer cell lineSilibininScambia et al., 1996
A2780 and PA-1 ovarian cancer cell linesSilymarinFan et al., 2014
ProstateDU145 prostate cancer cell lineSilymarinZi et al., 1998
LNCaP prostate cancer cell lineSilibininZi and Agarwal, 1999
PC-3 prostate cancer cell lineSilibininZi et al., 2000
LNCaP prostate cancer cell lineSilibininZhu, 2001
DU145 prostate cancer cell lineSilymarinBhatia and Agarwal, 2001
LNCaP and DU145 prostate cancer cell linesSilymarinSharma et al., 2001
DU145 prostate cancer cell lineSilibininDhanalakshmi et al., 2002
DU145 prostate cancer cell lineSilibinin and DoxorubicinTyagi et al., 2002
DU145 xenograft model in miceSilibininSingh et al., 2002
DU145 prostate cancer cell lineSilibinin and cisplatinDhanalakshmi et al., 2003
LNCaP, DU145, and PC-3 prostate cancer cell linesEach flavonolignan found in silymarinDavis-Searles et al., 2005
LNCaP and 22Rv1 prostate cancer cell linesIsosilybin A and isosilybin BDeep et al., 2007
ARCaP prostate cancer cell lineSilibininWu et al., 2010
SkinUVB and 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced tumor in mouse skin modelSilymarinKativar et al., 1997
A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cell lineSilymarinAhmad et al., 1998
SKH-1 hairless miceSilibininDhanalakshmi et al., 2004
JB6 mouse epithelial cell modelSilibininSingh et al., 2006