Silibinin is a mixture of flavonolignans extracted from blessed milk thistle. It has for some time been recognized for its beneficial effects in protecting the liver against toxins. More recently it has been demonstrated that silibinin inhibits NF-kB.

The researchers whose publication is briefly summarized below hypothesized that, as a natural NF-kB inhibitor, silibinin might be useful in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Employing the mouse model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), they looked at the effects of silibinin on spinal cord demyelination and inflammation. The results of their investigation indicated that silibinin is both immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory and that it might be useful in the treatment of MS.

The publication:

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Arch Pharm Res. 2007 Oct;30(10):1265-72.

Immunosuppressive effect of silibinin in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Min K, Yoon WK, Kim SK, Kim BH.

Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, Korea.

Summary of the abstract

Silibinin is the major pharmacologically active compound of silymarin, the Silybum marianum (aka Blessed Milk Thistle) fruit extract.

Hepatoprotective activities of silibinin/silymarin are well-known, and recent studies demonstrated their anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects which are due to inhibition of the transcription factor NF-kB.

Based on this knowledge, we hypothesized that silibinin could be effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and so we tested its immunosuppressive effect in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the MS animal model.

Silibinin nonspecifically down-regulated the secretion of pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines and up-regulated the anti-inflammatory Th2 cytokines in vitro. Silibinin also dose-dependently inhibited the production of Th1 cytokines ex vivo. These results indicate that silibinin is both immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory.

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