title: Evaluating the safety and efficacy of silymarin in β-thalassemia patients: a review.
abstract: β-Thalassemia (β-thal) is a type of hereditary anemia affecting hemoglobin (Hb) synthesis causing severe chronic anemia in homozygous patients. Regular blood transfusions are the mainstay treatment for this type of anemia. In turn, this leads to iron overload which is responsible for the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress and organ damage. Deferoxamine (DFO) is the standard of treatment for iron overload but regular painful subcutaneous administration of this medication prevents optimal compliance. Oral chelators, such as deferasirox (DFX) and deferiprone (DFP), are also effective and safe. Deferiprone is most effective in combination therapy with DFO rather than monotherapy; however, DFX is very expensive and the cost is a significant new burden for patients. Recently, researchers have proposed an iron chelating effect for silymarin that is a flavonoid extract from the milk thistle plant. This extract has different properties and has long been used for its antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects. In this review we assess different aspects of silymarin's potential effects and compare them to the profile of thalassemic patients.
authors: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) , Isfahan , Iran .
authors: Behjat Al-Sadat
authors: BA
authors: Moayedi Esfahani
authors: Nahid
authors: N
authors: Reisi
authors: Milad
authors: M
authors: Mirmoghtadaei
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059039:Standard of Care; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D020011:Protective Agents; D012838:Silymarin
keywords: Iron chelators; silymarin; thalassemia