Quantitative analysis of silymarin in Silybum marianum seeds collected from different countries during three year cultivation

초록

Silybum marianum, also known as milk thistle, is a medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. Its seeds contain a high amount of silymarin, which is considered a natural compound that exhibits a wide range of therapeutic properties. This study was conducted to analyze the silymarin content in S. marianum seeds originating from five countries and harvested in three different years using the high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC/DAD) method. The results revealed that the silymarin content and the presence of individual compounds showed variations over the harvesting period. Seeds from South Korea consistently exhibited the highest silymarin content throughout the three years. In addition, a possible relationship between silydianin and silybin B content was observed: higher silydianin content corresponded to lower silybin B content. There are two chemotypes: a high silybin type (chemotype A) and a high silydianin type (chemotype B). These findings highlight the impact of environmental factors, harvest time, and source material on the silymarin content, providing valuable insights for the selection of suitable materials for silymarin extraction and their potential application in health products. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.

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