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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Silymarin compounds: Chemistry, innovative extraction techniques and synthesis

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Abstract Silymarin complex consisting of four flavonolignans (silychristin, silydianin, silibinin and taxifolin) has been used from ancient times in both traditional European and Asian medicine for liver disorders treatment. Moreover, over the last years, the anticancer activity of these compounds against various types of cancer cells (e.g., breast, skin, colon, cervix, ovary, prostate, lung and hepatocellular cancers, among others) has been demonstrated. Therefore, at this stage of development, food and pharmaceutical interest have shown an increased interested in the recovery of these molecules. Conventional solvent extraction has been traditionally used to recover silymarin complex from plant matrices. However, the increased awareness regarding the use of green and sustainable processes has led to exploring new alternatives, which can minimize the use of toxic solvents (i.e., hexane) and using short extraction times. For instance, the use of innovative alternative approaches such as supercritical-CO2, pulsed electric fields, ultrasounds, and microwaves can constitute a useful alternative to recover silychristin, silydianin, silibinin and taxifolin. Furthermore, in order to obtain natural products, either as pure compounds or as standardized plant extracts, the use of selective and accurate analytical methods for qualitative and quantitative determination of flavonolignan components is required. In the present chapter, the current and innovative approaches to recover silychristin, silydianin, silibinin and taxifolin from plant matrices will be discussed. Moreover, the biological effects and the potential implications of these compounds on the prevention of non-communicable diseases will be shown.