Silymarin and its main isomer silibinin, respectively, have been shown to possess antioxidant properties thus preventing lipid peroxidation and membrane destruction in cells. In addition, protein biosynthesis and cell regeneration are accelerated in the damaged liver leading to restoration of the liver functions. Certain mushroom toxins are prevented from entering the liver cell by silibinin due to competitive inhibition of receptors at the cell membrane. Intravenous treatment with a soluble silibinin derivative is now an important life-saving factor in the standard therapy of cases of Amanita phalloides poisoning. Finally, it has recently been shown that silymarin inhibits leukotriene production which explains its antiinflammatory effect and that it has an antifibrotic action.
Clinical trials confirm the positive effects found in experimental studies.
Thus, silymarin is nowadays not only the best documented drug for liver therapy but also one of the most intensively investigated plant extracts with known mechanisms of action. More than 2.5 million people in Germany suffer from chronic liver disease, most of them of alcoholic origin. Long term treatment is able to reduce mortality even in patients with established alcoholic liver cirrhosis. However only a qualified preparation with adequate liberation of silymarin should be used because of the great differences in bioavailability of various products, as shown recently. According to the data available today, silymarin treatment should be applied to all patients suffering from alcoholic liver disease because of its possible favourable effects on prognosis.