title: Silymarin protects neurons from oxidative stress associated damages in focal cerebral ischemia: a behavioral, biochemical and immunohistological study in Wistar rats.
abstract: Cerebral stroke is the third largest cause of death and the severe leading cause of disability, thus have astronomical financial and social burden worldwide. Accumulated evidence suggests that ROS can be scavenged through utilizing natural antioxidant compounds present in foods and medicinal plants. In this study, we examined whether silymarin, an antioxidant, present in the milk of thistle can prevent or slowdown neuronal injury in focal cerebral ischemia. Male Wistar rats were pre-treated with silymarin (200mg/kg body weight, dissolved in 0.3 % sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, once orally) for 15 days. On day 16, they underwent a transient 2h suture-occlusion of the middle cerebral artery followed by 22 h of reperfusion. Rats were tested for neurobehavioral activity after 22 h reperfusion. Silymarin was found to be successful in upregulating the antioxidant status and lowering the apoptotic responses, and functional recovery returned close to the baseline. This study revealed that silymarin, a naturally occurring flavone from the milk thistle (Silybum marianum), may be helpful in slowing down the progression of neurodegeneration in focal cerebral ischemia. These results suggest that the neuroprotective potential of silymarin is mediated through its anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic properties.
authors.affiliation: Neurotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Medical Elementology & Toxicology, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard University, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India.
authors.forename: Syed Shadab
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Raza
authors.forename: Mohd Moshahid
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashafaq
authors.forename: Ajmal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Gulrana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Khuwaja
authors.forename: Andleeb
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Mohammad Saeed
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.forename: Mohammed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Safhi
authors.forename: Fakhrul
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Islam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012838:Silymarin