Milk thistle and cancer

Abstract

Milk thisle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.) is endemic of several European, African and Asian country like Iran. Althuogh litrature on its uses in Iranian traditional medicine in is not published, but it used extensively in some European country. Several clinical and experimental study undertaken to investigate efficacy of milk thistle seed extract (Silymarin) in several chronic disease. Silymarin contain several compound like flavonoid with antioxidative property and scavengering free radical. Free radicals are by-product of abnormal body metabolism in several chronic diseases and are important factor for late complication and secondary disease. Here in this article the published data on silymarin its effect on oxidative stress and cancer are reviewed.

Keywords

• milk thistle
• silymarin
• cancer
• antioxidant