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Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
U.S. Department of Agriculture
  1. Home
  2. Silybum marianum

Silybum marianum (Asteraceae)

Common Names
Milk Thistle; Lady's Thistle
How this plant is used
Generally Recognized as Safe
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List of plant chemicals.
Click on column headings to sort table by that column. *Unless otherwise noted all references are to (Duke, 1992)
Chemical Name Activity Count Plant Part Low Parts Per Million High Parts Per Million Standard Deviation Reference
FIBER(CRUDE) 0 Leaf 120000.0 -0.19 *
FIBER(DIETARY) 0 Leaf 390000.0 0.19 *
FIXED-OIL 0 Seed *
FLAVONES 0 Seed Coat 36600.0 *
FRUCTOSE 8 Seed *
FUMARIC-ACID 7 Leaf *
GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC-ACID 22 Seed *
GLUCOSE 7 Seed *
GLUTAMIC-ACID 8 Seed *
GLYCINE 12 Seed *
HEPTADECA-1-8-15-TRIENE-11-13-DIYN-10-OL 0 Root 800.0 *
HEPTADECA-1-8-15-TRIENE-11-13-DIYNE 0 Root 1400.0 *
HEPTADECA-1-CIS-8-CIS-15-TRIENE-11-13-DIYN-10-OL 0 Root 5.0 *
HEPTADECA-CIS-2-CIS-9-16-TRIENE-4-6-DIYNE 0 Root 5.0 *
HEPTADECATRIEN-(1,8,15)-DIIN-(11,13) 0 Root 1.4 List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
HEPTADECATRIEN-(1,8,15)-DIIN-(11,13)-OL-(10) 0 Root 0.8 List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
HISTAMINE 18 Seed List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
IRON 6 Leaf 23.0 106.0 -0.65 *
IRON 6 Plant 106.0 -0.61 Pedersen, M. 1987. Nutritional Herbology. Pederson Publishing. Bountiful, Utah. 377 pp.
ISOSILYBIN 0 Fruit 4000.0 *
View the list of ubiquitous chemicals
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List of plant activities.
Click on column headings to sort table by that column. *Unless otherwise noted all references are to (Duke, 1992)
Activity Chemical Count Reference
Antitumor (Kidney) 1 Chiang, L. C., Chiang, W., Chang, M. Y., Ng, L. T., Lin, C. C. 2003. Antileukemic activity of selected natural products in Taiwan. Am J Chin Med, 31(1):37-46.
Antitumor (Lung) 7 *
Antitumor (Ovary) 2 *
Antitumor (Pancreas) 1 Chiang, L. C., Chiang, W., Chang, M. Y., Ng, L. T., Lin, C. C. 2003. Antileukemic activity of selected natural products in Taiwan. Am J Chin Med, 31(1):37-46.
Antitumor (Prostate) 2 *
Antitumor (Skin) 3 *
Antitumor (Stomach) 2 Chiang, L. C., Chiang, W., Chang, M. Y., Ng, L. T., Lin, C. C. 2003. Antileukemic activity of selected natural products in Taiwan. Am J Chin Med, 31(1):37-46.
Antitumor (Thyroid) 1 *
Antitumor-Promoter 3 Yasukawa, K., Takido, M., Takeuchi, M., Sato, Y., Nitta, K., and Nakagawa, S. 1989. Inhibitory Effects of Flavonol Glycosides on 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-Induced Tumor Promotion. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 38(3): 774-776, 1990.
Antitussive 1 *
Antiulcer 9 *
Antiulcerogenic 1 Rafatullah, S., Tariq, M., Al-Yahya, M.A., Mossa, J.S., and Ageel, A.M. 1989. Evaluation of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) for Gastric and Duodenal Antiulcer Activity in Rats. J. of Ethnopharmacology, 29: 25-34, 1990.
Antivaginitic 1 Martindale's 28th
Antivaricose 1 Jeffery B. Harborne and H. Baxter, eds. 1983. Phytochemical Dictionary. A Handbook of Bioactive Compounds from Plants. Taylor & Frost, London. 791 pp.
Antivertigo 1 *
Antiviral 11 *
Antiviral? 1 Martindale's 29th
Antixerophthalmic 1 Davies, S., and Stewart, A. 1990. Nutritional Medicine. Avon Books, New York. 509pp.
Anxiolytic 8 *
AP-1-Inhibitor 1 *