Silybum Marianum Ethyl Ester

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) plant belongs to the family Asteraceae which native to the Mediterranean area. It also grows wild in uncultivated areas in the South of France, Central and Southern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa.It is known for its medicinal properties and is used to treat liver associated diseases including and not limited liver poisoning. The chemical constituents of milk thistle have a broad spectrum of antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti cancerous, anti inflammatory properties. The essential biochemical constituents include isomeric mixtures of flavonolignans, including taxofillin, silychristin, silydianin, silybin and isosilybin collectively known as silymarin. 1,2,3 A research group has also concluded that silybin could have protection against UVA and UVB rays while another research group has reported that that milk thistle extract might have anti aging effect by conferring protection against UVA/UVB damage. 4,5,6 Therapeutic action of milk thistle is due to this chemical complex – silymarin. 7

Silybum Marianum Ethyl Ester is not the same as flavonolignans. It is a natural fatty acid ester extracted from Silybum Marianum (milk thistle oil). Silybum Marianum Ethyl Ester contains over 50% linoleic acid (from the omega-6 family). And because linoleic acid is naturally present in our skin, applying Milk Thistle to the skin reinforces the skin’s innate ability to protect itself against physical and chemical stressors, dryness and moisture loss. Research done by a group has shown that Silybum Marianum Ethyl Ester might have a protective effect against skin barrier due to the presence of omega 6 fatty acids in it. 8,9,10 It was also reported to reduce the degradation of filaggrin, the molecule that is needed for making natural moisturizing factors in the skin. 11, 12

Figure:1 Percentage change in skin moisture in volunteers treated with formulation containing milk thistle extract. 6 There is a gradual increase in the amount of moisture content with increase of the usage time.

Figure 2: Percentage change in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in volunteers treated with formulation containing milk thistle extract. 6 There is a gradual decrease in the amount of water lost from the skin with an increase in the usage of the formulation.

References:

  1. Tunisian Milk Thistle: An Investigation of the Chemical Composition and the characterization of Its Cold-Pressed Seed Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec; 18(12): 2582.
  2. Medicinal plants of Saudi Riyadh: King Saud University Press.2000.
  3. Flavonolignans of Silybum marianum ” Chemistry of Natural Compounds, vol. 37, pp. 315-317.
  4. UVA-photoprotective potential of silymarin and silybin. Archives of Dermatological Research (2018) 310:413–424.
  5. Cosmeceuticals and Clin Dermatol. 2009 ; 27(5): 479–484.
  6. Anti-aging potential of a cream containing milk thistle extract: Formulation and in vivo African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 11(6), pp. 1509-1515, 19 January, 2012.
  7. Milk Thistle ( Silybum Milk Thistle (SILYBUM MARIANUM) : A REVIEW. International Journal of Pharma Research and Development, Publication Ref No.: IJPRD/2011/PUB/ARTI/VOV-3/ISSUE-2/APRIL/001.
  8. Omega-3 Versus Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Prevention and Treatment of Inflammatory Skin Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 741.
  9. Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study on the effects of topical blackcurrant emulsion enriched in essential fatty acids, ceramides and 18-beta glycyrrhetinic acid on clinical signs and skin barrier function in dogs with atopic Vet Dermatol 2017 Dec;28(6):577.
  10. The role of sphingolipid metabolism in cutaneous permeability barrier Biochim Biophys Acta 2014 Mar;1841(3):441-52.
  11. Lipid Metabolic Events Underlying the Formation of the Corneocyte Lipid Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2021;34:38–50.
  12. Understanding the Role of Natural Moisturizing Factor in Skin Practical Dermatology, July 2012.