| Common Names | Cardus Marianus, Marian Thistle, Mary Thistle, Mediterranean Milk Thistle, Milk Thistle, Saint Mary's Thistle, Scotch Thistle, Variegated Thistle |
|---|---|
| Description | |
| Locations | Epirus |
| Clinical Summary | |
| Contraindications | Plant's long-term consumption may cause gastric irritation |
| Active Substance | bitter agents essential oil Silymarin (flavonoid) tyramine histamine and other amines flavone glycosides |
| Active Substance Plant Part | Flowers root leaves stems seeds |
| Adverse Reaction | |
| Educational Research | |
| Interaction | |
| Features Description | Silybum marianum is an annual or biennial, spiny plant growing from 30 to 150cm, with smooth, shiny, green, white-spotted leaves and violet flowers. The flowering and the harvesting take place from June to August |
| Method Administration | It is administered to prevent and treat various liver diseases in the form of herbal tea (a spoon of dried seeds in a cup of boiled water, three times a day), tincture and herbal extractWarning: The use of herb preparations is not recommended without seeking advice from your physician or pharmacist. The substances they contain may interact with the subscribed drugs that the patient already takes, thus eliminating their therapeutic efficacy or inducing toxicity. They may also burden further weakened vital functions of the body thus exposing the patient to increased morbidity and life threatened conditions. |
| Pharmacological Info | The herbal tea is used as cholagogue and choleretic. It is recommended to prevent damage to the liver caused by excessive alcohol consumption and chemotherapies. Also, it is administered for the treatment of hepatitis, jaundice, liver cirrhosis, runny nose and pleurisy. It is applied externally to the skin against psoriasis. A lot of recent studies have shown that the plant has anticancer, neuroprotective and cardioprotective actions, which are mainly related to cholesterol reduction. |
| Pharmacological Use | |
| Mechanism Action | |
| References | http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-milk-thistle.html https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/milk-thistle http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4927e/29.html http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-138-milk%20thistle.aspx?activeingredientid=138&activeingredientname=milk%20thistle http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24555302 |
| Research |
