Milk thistle

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (Carduus marianus L. )– Milk thistle
Asteraceae (Compositae) – Aster family (composite)

The raw material is the ripe fruit, without the pappus.

Milk thistle – appearance and origin:

Milk thistle has been known as a medicinal plant for 2,000 years. It originates from the Mediterranean, from where it gradually spread to Europe and then also other continents. In Poland, milk thistle is grown on around 2,000 hectares of land. There are plantations in Greater Poland, Kuyavia, Żuławy Wiślane and the Lublin region. The cultivated strain is Silma, bred in the Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants (formerly Institute of Plants and Herbal Preparations) in Poznań.
During sprouting, first there are smooth, thick cotyledons coming out of the soil, then a dense leaf rosette, followed by a stiff, branched shoot which in favorable conditions grows up to 1.7 m in height. The milk thistle leaves are mucronate on the edges, with distinct large, white spots. The inflorescences are made up of mucronate involucres and tubular, violet-purple flowers. The plant blooms from the end of June to middle of August. The fruit is a dark, large achene with a pappus. During blooming, the flower heads open up, and the achenes are easily spread by the wind, causing not only crop losses but also weed infestation.

Milk thistle – effects and use:

The part used in medicine is the milk thistle fruit – Silybi mariani fructus. It contains 0.7% flavonolignans (called silymarin, consisting of silibinin, silychrystin and silydionin), around 0.08% essential oil, flavonoids, bitters and biogenic amines.

Silymarin is an antagonist to many agents which are harmful for the liver. They are i.a. the death cap mushroom toxins, including phalloidin and α-Amanitin, lanthanides, carbon tetroxide, galactosamine, thioacetamide, as well as hepatotoxic FV3 virus in cold-blooded animals.
The therapeutic efficacy of silymarin is based on 2 mechanisms First, silymarin changes the external structure of hepatocyte cell membrane, preventing toxins from permeating into the cell. Second, silymarin stimulates the activity of nucleolar polymerase α and consequently enhances the ribosomal protein synthesis. This causes the stimulation of liver regeneration and the creation of new hepatocytes.

Due to its cytoprotective, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity, silymarin can be used in dermatology and skin protection. Because the milk thistle oil contains a large amount of EFAs, which are responsible for the functioning of the prostaglandin precursor, it has become an object of interest to many cosmetics manufacturers. The milk thistle is used for creams, as it contains 1% silymarin which protects cell membranes from free radicals. According to manufacturers, the flavonolignan complex in the creams reduces redness, brightens the skin and improves the skin's regeneration capabilities.

Thanks to its rich chemical composition and especially its silymarin content, the milk thistle fruit can be a valuable ingredient of functional foods. Ground milk thistle fruit added to bread could provide systematic protection of the liver. The high content of oil, containing fatty acids, and the fiber should be nutritious and beneficial.