Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics
Milk thistle (<i>Silybum marianum</i> (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 hav...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Metabolites |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/440 |
| _version_ | 1797610177710522368 |
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| author | Ancuța Cristina Raclariu-Manolică Carmen Socaciu |
| author_facet | Ancuța Cristina Raclariu-Manolică Carmen Socaciu |
| author_sort | Ancuța Cristina Raclariu-Manolică |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Milk thistle (<i>Silybum marianum</i> (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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:11:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eef2af36430845f085256524ba048c9f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-1989 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:11:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Metabolites |
| spelling | doaj.art-eef2af36430845f085256524ba048c9f2023-11-17T12:37:30ZengMDPI AGMetabolites2218-19892023-03-0113344010.3390/metabo13030440Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced AnalyticsAncuța Cristina Raclariu-Manolică0Carmen Socaciu1Stejarul Research Centre for Biological Sciences, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, 610004 Piatra Neamț, RomaniaFaculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaMilk thistle (<i>Silybum marianum</i> (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.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/440milk thistle<i>Silybum marianum</i> (L.) Gaertnsilymarinmetabolitesfood supplementsquality |
| spellingShingle | Ancuța Cristina Raclariu-Manolică Carmen Socaciu Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics Metabolites milk thistle <i>Silybum marianum</i> (L.) Gaertn silymarin metabolites food supplements quality |
| title | Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics |
| title_full | Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics |
| title_fullStr | Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics |
| title_short | Detecting and Profiling of Milk Thistle Metabolites in Food Supplements: A Safety-Oriented Approach by Advanced Analytics |
| title_sort | detecting and profiling of milk thistle metabolites in food supplements a safety oriented approach by advanced analytics |
| topic | milk thistle <i>Silybum marianum</i> (L.) Gaertn silymarin metabolites food supplements quality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/440 |
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