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| Milk Thistle Silymarin
demonstrates protective effects against photocarcinogenesis in mice
Solar ultraviolet radiation is the major cause of nonmelanoma skin cancer, the most common cancer among humans. Silymarin has been demonstrated effective in protection against chemically-induced tumor development in mice; here, its protective effects against UVB radiation-induced carcinomas were evaluated and the mechanism of action outlined. Topical application of a silymarin preparation reduced tumor incidence from 40% to 20%, multiplicity by 67%, and tumor volume by 66% in a tumor initiation study, and in a tumor promotion study, silymarin treatment reduced tumor incidence by 40%, multiplicity by 78% and volume by 90%. Even more profound results were obtained in the portion of the study on silymarin treatment of subjects with UVB-induced complete carcinogenesis. Based on these encouraging results, the authors conclude that clinical testing is warranted. Katiyar S, Korman N, Mukhtar H, et al. "Protective effects of silymarin
against photocarcinogenesis in a mouse skin model." Journal of the
National Cancer Institute 1997;89(8):556-566. |
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