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Review
. 2023 Mar 17;13(3):440.
doi: 10.3390/metabo13030440.

Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics

Ancuța Cristina Raclariu-Manolică  1 , Carmen Socaciu  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics

Ancuța Cristina Raclariu-Manolică et al. Metabolites. .

Abstract

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.) is among the top-selling botanicals used as a supportive treatment for liver diseases. Silymarin, a mixture of unique flavonolignan metabolites, is the main bioactive component of milk thistle. The biological activities of silymarin have been well described in the literature, and its use is considered safe and well-tolerated in appropriate doses. However, commercial preparations do not always contain the recommended concentrations of silymarin, failing to provide the expected therapeutic effect. While the poor quality of raw material may explain the low concentrations of silymarin, its deliberate removal is suspected to be an adulteration. Toxic contaminants and foreign matters were also detected in milk thistle preparations, raising serious health concerns. Standard methods for determination of silymarin components include thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with various detectors, but nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) have also been applied. This review surveys the extraction techniques of main milk thistle metabolites and the quality, efficacy, and safety of the derived food supplements. Advanced analytical authentication approaches are discussed with a focus on DNA barcoding and metabarcoding to complement orthogonal chemical characterization and fingerprinting of herbal products.

Keywords: Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn; advanced analytical approaches; food supplements; metabolites; milk thistle; quality; safety; silymarin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funder had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn). (A) Cultivated field at the Agricultural Research and Development Station (SCDA) Secuieni, Neamț County, Romania. (B) Flower head with spiny bracts and variegated leaf. (C) Mature flower (D) Fruits (Photos: A.C. Raclariu-Manolică; M. Naie).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chemical structures of the main flavonolignans of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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