Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)

Native Americans use milk thistle to treat boils and other skin diseases. Homeopathic practitioners utilize preparations from the seeds in the treatment of jaundice, gallstones, peritonitis, hemorrhage, bronchitis, and varicose veins.[1] Currently, the German Commission E recommends its use for dyspeptic complaints, toxin-induced liver damage, and hepatic cirrhosis, and as a supportive therapy for chronic inflammatory liver conditions.[3] CHEMISTRY Although the chemical composition of milk thistle seed extracts has been studied since the 1950s, a precise nomenclature for the biologically active constituents has been evasive until very recently, Historically, the terms “silymarin” and “silibinin,” or “silybinin,” have been used interchangeably[4] to denote the content of standardized milk thistle extracts. However, none of these terms refers to a single pure compound (Table 1).