Silymarin is an effective SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitor. Silymarin displays antioxidant and membrane stabilizing activity. It protects various tissues and organs against chemical injury. Silymarin can reduce tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis as well as insulin resistance[1].
Silymarin (0, 40, 80µg/ml; 24h) was confirmed to inhibit migration of AGS cells in a concentration-dependent manner (59.4% at 40µg/ml and 21.7% at 80µg/ml) [2]. Silymarin(0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200µg/ml; 24h) inhibits the viability of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, and MCF-7 cells are more sensitive to Silymarin than MDA-MB-231 cells[3].
Silymarin (25, 50mg/kg; po; 5 times per week; 21d) inhibits the growth of MCF-7 tumors and induces apoptosis of MCF-7 tumor cells[3]. Silymarin (10, 20, 50 and 100mg/kg; po; administered 60 minutes before behavioral testing) reduces the immobility time in the forced swim test and the tail suspension test in a dose-dependent manner[4].
References:
[1].Féher J, Lengyel G. Silymarin in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases and primary liver cancer. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2012 Jan;13(1):210-7.
[2].Kim SH, Choo GS, Yoo ES, Woo JS, Han SH, Lee JH, Jung JY. Silymarin induces inhibition of growth and apoptosis through modulation of the MAPK signaling pathway in AGS human gastric cancer cells. Oncol Rep. 2019 Nov;42(5):1904-1914.
[3]. Kim S H, Choo G S, Yoo E S, et al. Silymarin inhibits proliferation of human breast cancer cells via regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway and induction of apoptosis[J]. Oncology Letters, 2021, 21(6): 1-10.
[4]. Khoshnoodi M, Fakhraei N, Dehpour AR. Possible involvement of nitric oxide in antidepressant-like effect of silymarin in male mice. Pharm Biol. 2015 May;53(5):739-45.