Silymarin, an extract from milk thistle seeds, has been used for centuries to treat hepatic conditions. Preclinical data indicate that
silymarin can reduce oxidative stress and consequent cytotoxicity, thereby protecting intact liver cells or cells not yet irreversibly damaged. Eurosil 85® is a proprietary formulation developed to maximize the oral bioavailability of
silymarin. Most of the clinical research on
silymarin has used this formulation.
Silymarin acts as a
free radical scavenger and modulates
enzymes associated with the development of cellular damage,
fibrosis and
cirrhosis. These hepatoprotective effects were observed in clinical studies in patients with alcoholic or
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, including patients with
cirrhosis. In a pooled analysis of trials in patients with
cirrhosis,
silymarin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in liver-related deaths. Moreover, in patients with diabetes and
alcoholic cirrhosis,
silymarin was also able to improve glycemic parameters. Patients with
drug-induced liver injuries were also successfully treated with
silymarin.
Silymarin is generally very well tolerated, with a low incidence of adverse events and no treatment-related serious adverse events or deaths reported in clinical trials. For maximum benefit, treatment with
silymarin should be initiated as early as possible in patients with
fatty liver disease and other distinct
liver disease manifestations such as
acute liver failure, when the regenerative potential of the liver is still high and when removal of oxidative stress, the cause of cytotoxicity, can achieve the best results.