@Article{Kołota2017,
journal="Alcoholism and Drug Addiction/Alkoholizm i Narkomania",
issn="0867-4361",
volume="30",
number="2",
year="2017",
title="The possibilities of silymarin extract use in alcoholic liver disease – a literature review",
abstract="The development of  alcoholic liver disease (ALD), characterised by different degrees of  liver damage, may be one of  the  possible effects of  the  long-term, excessive alcohol consumption. The  treatment is based on total abstinence, which affects a  significant mortality reduction and on nutritional therapy associated with excessive weight loss and muscle atrophy prevention, as well as reducing vitamin and mineral deficiency, especially as these patients are very often at risk of  malnutrition. Ethanol transformation in the  body leads to the  free radical production, which generates so called oxidative stress. As this is considered the  main factor in the  liver damage, researchers have been trying to identify substances that could have a  significant effect on oxidative stress reduction. The  aim of  the  study was to define the  possibility of  applying the  silymarin extract from seeds of  milk thistle as a  supporting element in the  nutritional treatment of  alcoholic liver disease and to characterise its potential adverse effects based on the  currently available literature. Studies conducted in groups of  patients at various stages of  alcoholic liver disease provide ambiguous results. This may be due to the  applied time and dosage of  the  silymarin extract, due to the  fact that its components are characterised by low water and fats solubility, as well as low re-absorption in the  intestine. It is also possible that bioavailability is influenced by the  patient’s nutritional state. However, in experiments applied in various laboratory animal models, most of  the  results indicated that the  silymarin first of  all normalises liver enzyme levels, has also a  positive influence on the  parameters of  antioxidative defense, reduces lipid peroxidation and inhibits the  production of  inflammatory response mediators. It is especially important that no side effects were observed during use of  the  silymarin extract in any study. It may be concluded that alcoholic liver disease patients may experience some benefits while using silymarin extract, especially given that all studies confirmed its safety.",
author="Kołota, Aleksandra",
pages="137--154",
doi="10.5114/ain.2017.70290",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/ain.2017.70290"
}