Abstract
Silymarin, a flavolignans from seeds of ‘milk thistle’ “Silybum marianum†has been widely used from ancient times because of its excellent hepatoprotective action. It has been used clinically to treat liver disorders including acute and chronic viral hepatitis, toxin/drug-induced hepatitis and cirrhosis and alcoholic liver disease. The efficacy and dose-response effect of silymarin (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) were assessed using egg albumin-induced paw edema in rats as a model of acute inflammation. In this model, 56 rats were used and allocated into 7 subgroups each containing 8 rats. All treatments were given intraperitonealy 30 minutes before induction of inflammation by egg albumin and then the increase in paw edema was measured 1h, 2h and 3h after induction of inflammation by using the vernier caliper. The results indicated that silymarin, at doses range used, significantly lowered paw edema (P<0.05) an effect comparable to that produced by the reference drugs, acetyl salicylic acid, meloxicam and dexamethazone. Paw edema suppressive effect of silymarin 250 and 500 mg/kg was comparable and both of them were significantly different from that of silymarin 125 mg/kg (P<0.05). Therefore, silymarin exert an important anti-inflammatory activity in animal model of acute inflammation, which was significantly increased as the dose increased up to 250 mg/kg.
 Key words: Silymarin, acute inflammation, dose-response
Highlights
Inflammation is an important physiological reaction, which occurs in response to a wide variety of injurious agents aiming to perform the dual function of limiting damage and promoting tissue repair [1]
Exudation, which is a consequence of increased vascular permeability, is considered as a major feature of acute inflammation [15].Egg albumin-induced paw edema in rats is an in vivo model of inflammation used to screen agents for antiinflammatory effect [16]
In accordance with Marsha-Lyn et al [18], inflammation occurs through three distinct phases: an initial phase mediated by histamine and 5-HT; an intermediate phase involving the activity of bradykinin and a third phase with prostanoid synthesis by COX [19]
Summary
Inflammation is an important physiological reaction, which occurs in response to a wide variety of injurious agents (bacterial infection or physical trauma) aiming to perform the dual function of limiting damage and promoting tissue repair [1]. It requires the participation of various cell types expressing and reacting to diverse mediators along a very precise sequence [2]. Milk thistle is one of the best-studied medicinal plants for the treatment of liver disease (4 -7)
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