Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is the most well-researched plant in the treatment of liver diseases. Fruits of milk thistle contain flavonoids known for silymarin including silybin, silydianin and silychristin. | JOURNAL OF MILITARY PHARMACO-MEDICINE N07-2016 A REVIEW OF MANUFACTURE, BIOAVAILABILITY, SAFETY AND CLINICAL EFFICACY OF MILK THISTLE PHYTOSOME Dang Truong Giang*; Nguyen Van Long*; Dang Van Diep* Nguyen Thi Lan Huong*; Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai SUMMARY Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is the most well-researched plant in the treatment of liver diseases. Fruits of milk thistle contain flavonoids known for silymarin including silybin, silydianin and silychristin. Although Silymarin has the most potent flavonoids in milk thistle, similar to other flavonoids, it is not well-absorbed. In recent studies, the phytosome technology has increased absorption of conventional herbal extract. This paper aims to review the researches about milk thistle phytosome including: manufacturing, bioavailability, safety and clinical efficacy. * Key words: Phytosome; Silybin; Bioavailability; Phosphatidylcholine. INTRODUCTION Milk thistle (Silybum marianum Asteraceae) is the most well-researched plant in the treatment of liver diseases. Fruits of milk thistle contain flavonoids known for silymarin including silybin, silydianin and silychristin [4]. Although clinical trials have shown silymarin is safe at high doses (> 1,500 mg/day) in humans over the past three decades, the pharmacokinetic studies related to absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of silymarin have revealed poor absorption, rapid metabolism and ultimately poor oral bioavailability. For optimum silymarin bioavailability, issues of solubility, permeability, metabolism, and excretion must be addressed [2]. An array of methods have been described in recent years that can improve bioavailability of silymarin, including complexes with β-cyclodextrins, solid dispersion method, formation of microparticles and nanoparticles, self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems, micelles, liposomes and phytosomes [2]. The phytosome technology is a novel approach developed by Indena in an attempt to combat the issue of .
