Determine the Curing Effects of Silybum marianum (milk thistle) Administered Orally to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Patients for Six Months

Abstract

Silybum marianum is the scientific name of milk thistle. For centuries, it is used to treat hepatitis, cirrhosis, jaundice, diabetes, and indigestion. The bioactive agents of milk thistle contain Apigenin, silybin, betaine, free fatty acids, silybin, silychristin, and silidianin. Objective: To determine the potential of Silybum marianum (milk thistle) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients. Methods: It was a cross-sectional and experimental based study with NAFLD patients. A significant age range of 30 to 60 years was chosen for the 40 patients (20 men and 20 women). Screening period after liver biopsies (before and after the use of one capsule of S. marianum (Silymarin Standardize milk Thistle 300mg/day metabolic maintenance). Ultrasound technology assessed the liver condition at the start of the study and after the herbal 6-months therapy. Results: Out of 40 patients, 10 (25%) had hyperlipidemia and 5 (12.5%) were diabetics. The results of the 6-month therapy research study showed that the blood AST and ALT levels of NAFLD patients had significantly decreased. The average ALT and AST baseline concentrations were 85 and 65.9IU/ml, respectively. AST value (before and after therapy) showed a statistically significant difference in 80% of the NAFLD patients treated with S. marianum (32 out of 40; p=0.007). With a p-value of 0.05, alanine transaminase (ALT) normalization of disease severity was accomplished in 65% of patients (26 out of 40 patients). Conclusions: The therapy of NAFLD via S. marianum is successful in terms of biochemical improvement, especially when other medications have failed or when used in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques