Silymarin in cancer therapy: Mechanisms of action, protective roles in chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and nanoformulations
Silymarin, a milk thistle extract, has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-lipid peroxidative, anti-fibrotic, anti-oxidative, and anti-proliferative properties. Silymarin exhibits not only anti-cancer functions through modulating various hallmarks of cancer, including cell cycle, metastasis, a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Functional Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464622004546 |
| _version_ | 1797956250587103232 |
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| author | Yin Wang Ai-Jun Yuan Yue-Jin Wu Li-Mei Wu Ling Zhang |
| author_facet | Yin Wang Ai-Jun Yuan Yue-Jin Wu Li-Mei Wu Ling Zhang |
| author_sort | Yin Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Silymarin, a milk thistle extract, has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-lipid peroxidative, anti-fibrotic, anti-oxidative, and anti-proliferative properties. Silymarin exhibits not only anti-cancer functions through modulating various hallmarks of cancer, including cell cycle, metastasis, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and autophagy, by targeting a plethora of molecules, but also plays protective roles against chemotherapy-induced toxicity, such as nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. One of the problems of silymarin in (pre)clinical studies is its poor water solubility, leading to low intestinal absorption and, therefore, low bioavailability. To address these challenges, silymarin nanoformulations have emerged with added benefits, including excellent drug loading, sustained release, improved cellular uptake, and targeting tumor cells. Besides the chemical and biological properties, here we summarized the anti-cancer functions and the mechanism of action of silymarin in both free form and nanoformulations and its protective roles against chemotherapy-induced toxicity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:46:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cee6c91433644da97822a62d3f4e1fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-4646 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:46:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Functional Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cee6c91433644da97822a62d3f4e1fd2023-01-11T04:28:18ZengElsevierJournal of Functional Foods1756-46462023-01-01100105384Silymarin in cancer therapy: Mechanisms of action, protective roles in chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and nanoformulationsYin Wang0Ai-Jun Yuan1Yue-Jin Wu2Li-Mei Wu3Ling Zhang4Institute of Food Science and Engineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310007, Zhejiang, ChinaReproductive Medicine Center, Jinhua People’s Hospital, Jinhua 321000, Zhejiang, ChinaReproductive Medicine Center, Jinhua People’s Hospital, Jinhua 321000, Zhejiang, ChinaReproductive Medicine Center, Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, ChinaReproductive Medicine Center, Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, No. 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China.Silymarin, a milk thistle extract, has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-lipid peroxidative, anti-fibrotic, anti-oxidative, and anti-proliferative properties. Silymarin exhibits not only anti-cancer functions through modulating various hallmarks of cancer, including cell cycle, metastasis, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and autophagy, by targeting a plethora of molecules, but also plays protective roles against chemotherapy-induced toxicity, such as nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. One of the problems of silymarin in (pre)clinical studies is its poor water solubility, leading to low intestinal absorption and, therefore, low bioavailability. To address these challenges, silymarin nanoformulations have emerged with added benefits, including excellent drug loading, sustained release, improved cellular uptake, and targeting tumor cells. Besides the chemical and biological properties, here we summarized the anti-cancer functions and the mechanism of action of silymarin in both free form and nanoformulations and its protective roles against chemotherapy-induced toxicity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464622004546SilymarinAnti-cancerChemotherapy-induced toxicityNanoformulation |
| spellingShingle | Yin Wang Ai-Jun Yuan Yue-Jin Wu Li-Mei Wu Ling Zhang Silymarin in cancer therapy: Mechanisms of action, protective roles in chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and nanoformulations Journal of Functional Foods Silymarin Anti-cancer Chemotherapy-induced toxicity Nanoformulation |
| title | Silymarin in cancer therapy: Mechanisms of action, protective roles in chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and nanoformulations |
| title_full | Silymarin in cancer therapy: Mechanisms of action, protective roles in chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and nanoformulations |
| title_fullStr | Silymarin in cancer therapy: Mechanisms of action, protective roles in chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and nanoformulations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Silymarin in cancer therapy: Mechanisms of action, protective roles in chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and nanoformulations |
| title_short | Silymarin in cancer therapy: Mechanisms of action, protective roles in chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and nanoformulations |
| title_sort | silymarin in cancer therapy mechanisms of action protective roles in chemotherapy induced toxicity and nanoformulations |
| topic | Silymarin Anti-cancer Chemotherapy-induced toxicity Nanoformulation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464622004546 |
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