Pharmacological action of silymarin
2024-12-27

Silymarin has been shown to neutralize poisoning caused by muscarinic acid, alpha-amanita (a toxic substance found in the amanita fungus), carbon tetrachloride, galactosamine, thioacetamide, and hepatovirus FV3 in various pathological models of toxic liver damage.
The efficacy of silymarin is attributed to its ability to trap free radicals due to its several sites and mechanisms of action. Silymarin has anti-peroxide activity. The pathophysiological process of lipid peroxidation (resulting in damage to cell membranes) can be blocked or prevented by silymarin. And in liver cells that have been damaged, silymarin stimulates protein synthesis and normalizes phospholipid metabolism.
In summary, the greatest contribution of silymarin is its stabilizing effect on liver cell membranes, which prevents or avoids the loss of dissolved cellular components (such as transaminases). Silymarin can limit the penetration of certain hepatotoxic substances (such as alpha-amanectin) into the cell interior. The enhanced protein synthesis capacity is due to the fact that silymarin stimulates the activity of RNA polymerase I in the nucleus, thus aiding the synthesis of ribosomal RNA in liver cells, while leading to large amounts of synthesis of structural and functional proteins (enzymes). Therefore, silymarin can enhance the repair and regeneration ability of liver cells.