Silybin for Liver Diseases via Anti-Oxidative Stress: A Comprehensive Review

Liver diseases pose a significant challenge in global public health, and scientific prevention and treatment strategies have become particularly crucial. Silybin, a flavonoid and active ingredient extracted from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb milk thistle, is the most critical effective component in silymarin, and has clearly demonstrated potent anti-oxidative stress capabilities. This unique attribute makes it a highly promising drug candidate for treating acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and other liver diseases. In the progression of liver diseases, silybin exerts significant therapeutic effects via dual anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms through which it alleviates the inflammatory response in acute hepatitis, stabilizes the progression of chronic hepatitis, and promotes the benign transition from decompensated to compensated cirrhosis. This study comprehensively reviews research findings on silybin in treating liver diseases via this anti-oxidative stress mechanism over the past few decades, and offers a particular focus on the development of novel drug formulations based on the oxidative stress pathogenesis of liver diseases. These formulations target the CD44 receptor, retinol/vitamin A, CXCR4 receptor, glycyrrhetinic acid receptor, GLUT4 protein, NS5B protein, and SPARC. It also examines the current status of the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory applications of silybin formulations in global liver disease treatments. However, more high-quality, detailed experimental studies are needed to explore its exact efficacy and safety so as to provide a stronger scientific basis for the widespread application of silybin in liver disease treatment.