Title:The Pros and the Cons for the Use of Silybin-Rich Oral Formulations in Treatment of Liver Damage (NAFLD in Particular)
VOLUME: 22 ISSUE: 25
Author(s):Natalia Rosso, Veronica Marin, Antonio Giordani, Stefano Persiani, Federica Sala, Lucio Cavicchioli, Lucio C. Rovati and Claudio Tiribelli
Affiliation:Fondazione Italiana Fegato, Area Science Park Basovizza, SS14 km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
Keywords:Apoptosis, fibrosis, inflammation, insulin resistance oxidative-stress, silibinin, steatosis.
Abstract:The increasing prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
worldwide is becoming a challenge for the modern global care system. The lipotoxic process
is characterized by an oxidative stress followed by a burst of the inflammatory response,
prompting the wound healing process (fibrosis), which can ultimately lead to the development
of cirrhosis and the subsequent complications. There is no consensus concerning an effective pharmacological
treatment. Therefore, there is a need for effective therapeutic compounds. Silibinin the major active
compound of Milk Thistle may be a potential candidate mainly due to its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and
anti-fibrotic properties. In spite of the large number of data obtained in experimental models, the translation
of the evidence in clinical setting is far to be conclusive. The aim of this paper is to critically review the aspects
of the use of the different formulations of Silibinin in several experimental and clinical settings and to
provide hints on the needed future studies.
