Milk thistle flavonoids in the treatment of liver diseases

Where is a large amount of useful substances and healing power for the digestive organs? What will help in the treatment of wounds, ulcers, eczema and burns? For those who understand herbs and various plant parts, the answer is probably obvious. And we will remind you and tell everyone more about this miracle remedy. We'll talk about milk thistle.

How to take milk thistle powder correctly

Powder is flour that is obtained after grinding the seeds of a plant. In medicine it is called meal. When purchasing ready-made meal at the pharmacy, packaged in a box or bag, make sure that the product was received recently by assessing the date of manufacture. Also, make sure that the packaging protects the contents from light. Exposure to sunlight has a detrimental effect on the beneficial substances of the powder, depriving it of its healing power.

For liver diseases, the daily dose is calculated based on one’s own weight: the patient needs 1 g of powder per 1 kg of weight. The resulting value is divided into 5 equal parts - 5 meals. You can consume the powder with water at intervals of 4-5 hours.

You can prepare the powder yourself by purchasing plant seeds. You can grind them in a coffee grinder, blender or using a mortar.

Milk thistle medicine recipes

In folk medicine, there are many recipes for cleansing the liver of harmful substances. Each of them is aimed at preserving valuable plant substances. In addition, you can use time-tested drugs Karsil and Karsil Forte to treat the liver. They are also made with a milk thistle base.

Milk thistle powder

The production of powder from the fruits of the herb is done by grinding in a coffee grinder or blender. The product is also sold in pharmacies in finished form.

The powder is taken one teaspoon 30 minutes before meals three times a day, washed down with plenty of water (mineral water without gases is recommended for use; then the bottle is opened 12 hours before, thus releasing carbon dioxide).

Tea

Milk thistle tea is the most common and easiest way to use milk thistle to cleanse the liver.

To brew tea, take some leaves of the plant (you can take plant seeds instead). Brew the herb with a small amount of boiling water so that the water in the mug or glass makes up part of it. Peppermint and sugar can be added to tea for taste.

After this, the contents of the vessel should be left for half an hour. Later, the tea is filtered and should be drunk in the morning on an empty stomach. You should also drink liquid 30-40 minutes before bedtime to cleanse the liver faster.

Decoctions

This organ cleanser is made from milk thistle seeds. To do this, you need to take 40 g of seeds and grind them in any way. Pour the resulting powder into 0.5 liters of water and leave on fire. You need to cook until the original volume of liquid is reduced by half.

After cooking, the liquid is filtered. Take it one tablespoon once an hour. This liver treatment remedy needs to be brewed for 14 days.

How to take milk thistle meal to cleanse the liver

As a cleanser I use a decoction made from fresh meal. To increase the beneficial properties of the drug, you need to prepare the powder yourself, rather than buying ready-made ones.

Having crushed 30 g of seeds, they need to be filled with three glasses of water and put on fire to boil. The mixture should be cooked for a long time until half of the liquid has boiled away. After which the broth must be filtered, clearing it of sediment. Take 1 tablespoon orally every hour before meals. The duration of treatment is 2 weeks. After which it is recommended to take tests for liver enzymes to assess the result of treatment. If necessary, you can take a break of 2 weeks, after which the course is repeated.

Recommendations

The recommended dosage involves taking capsules three times a day. One-time quantity – 4 capsules. Taking milk thistle oil must be discussed with your doctor. The duration of the course is no longer than 2 months. After a break, you are allowed to repeat taking milk thistle oil capsules. However, it is not recommended to use the dietary supplement more than 3 times a year. If there is no positive effect when taking the product during the first weeks, then you should discard it.

Milk thistle oil should be stored at a temperature not exceeding 18°C ​​in a dry place. It is important to exclude children from accessing dietary supplements. The shelf life of the natural product is 2 years. It is strictly prohibited to take expired medication.

Contraindications

Herbal origin does not mean that the drug is completely safe when taken endlessly without control. The seeds contain a large amount of phosphorus, which can negatively affect the function of the heart valve. Therefore, in case of any chronic disorders of the cardiovascular system or an acute period of the disease, you should consult a specialist.

In addition, self-medication with milk thistle is contraindicated in people with:

• individual intolerance to drugs;
• exacerbation of pancreatitis;
• epilepsy;
• shortness of breath.

Peculiarities

Milk thistle oil is a unique natural product in its composition. It has a huge range of healing properties. In addition, it is important that the product has a minimum number of contraindications. Milk thistle oil is most often used as a hepaprotective agent. In addition, it strengthens the body’s defenses against various external negative factors.

Milk thistle oil has a yellowish-green hue. The natural product has a pleasant taste and smell. The benefits of milk thistle oil are associated with its rich composition. The product contains flavonoids of the silymarin group. These substances have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the liver, promoting the renewal and restoration of its cells. Silymarin reduces the risk of liver damage from toxic substances.

In addition, milk thistle oil contains all existing fat-soluble vitamins. This:

• Vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of phosphorus and calcium, and also strengthens the immune system.
• Vitamin K, which regulates blood clotting.
• Tocopherols that protect the body from the action of free radicals and support the proper functioning of the reproductive and cardiovascular systems.
• Carotenoids that ensure growth, support vision function and normalize metabolism.

The important components of milk thistle oil are:

• B vitamins. They are involved in many processes in the human body, in particular they contribute to the synthesis of hemoglobin. In addition, these substances normalize the functioning of the nervous system.
• Unsaturated fatty acids. These substances prevent the development of strokes and heart attacks and minimize the risks of atherosclerosis.

Milk thistle oil contains compounds of minerals important for the body, in particular zinc, selenium, magnesium, etc. They are important for the correct functioning of various processes, and maintain internal organs and systems in good condition.

How much does milk thistle cost?

The cost of the drug directly depends on the name of the manufacturer and the dosage form.

Domestic producers selling seeds in plastic bags ask for no more than 50 rubles per package. Foreign companies for the same seeds can charge a price that is one and a half to two times higher than the cost of the Russian equivalent.

Ready meal (powder), prepared by grinding seeds, costs about 115 rubles per 100 g of product.

And milk thistle oil can be bought at a cost of 80 rubles per 100 ml, or 450 rubles per 50 ml - depending on the name of the manufacturer’s brand.

Release form and composition

The following dosage forms of Milk Thistle are produced:

• Tablets (60 or 90 pieces in polymer jars; 10, 15 or 20 pieces in blister packs, 3 or 10 packs in a cardboard pack);
• Capsules with milk thistle extract (30, 60 or 90 pieces in polymer jars);
• Powder for oral administration (in polypropylene bags);
• Oil for oral administration (50 ml bottles).

1 capsule contains the active ingredient: milk thistle extract – 0.3 g.

1 tablet contains:

• Active ingredient: dry milk thistle extract – 0.065 or 0.5 g;
• Auxiliary components: calcium stearate, talc, microcrystalline cellulose.

The powder contains the active ingredient silibinin (milk thistle fruit extract).

The oil for oral administration contains the following active ingredients:

• Fats – 10.9% (including fatty acids: palmitic – 12.36%, stearic – 4.45%, oleic – 23.4%, linoleic – 55.6%, linolenic – 3.0%);
• Protein – 17.4%;
• Essential oils – about 1%;
• Minerals;
• Carotenoids;
• Mono- and disaccharides;
• Tocopherols;
• Enzymes;
• Biogenic amines.

Experience of using the drug Prostopin in patients with chronic prostatitis with pathospermia

V.V. Evdokimov, M.N. Korshunov, E.S. Korshunova, A.S. Kondratyev, E.I. Dubkov Federal State Institution "Research Institute of Urology" of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia, Moscow

Currently, the share of the male factor in infertile marriages is almost 50%. Numerous studies have shown that recent decades have been marked by a decline in male fertility [2, 9, 20]. The multifactorial nature of this problem has become obvious. First of all, external and internal factors of pathological influence are considered. External influences include: electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones, computers, soil, water, and air pollution. The list of internal factors includes infectious diseases of the reproductive system, trauma to the genital organs, etc. In the last two decades, a number of fundamental and applied works have appeared on the study of the regulation of the functional activity of the male reproductive system [3, 4, 13, 21]. A paradigm of a multi-level reproduction system has been developed, including immune, genetic, hormonal and other components.

The multifactorial pathogenesis of male infertility causes difficulties in diagnosing and treating male infertility. The choice of adequate therapy depends on an accurate understanding of the physiological mechanisms of spermatogenesis disorders [24, 25, 26]. Extensive research is being conducted on the correction of various types of pathospermia using various pharmacological drugs [12].

Chronic prostatitis is one of the most difficult urological diseases to diagnose and treat. A number of researchers believe that in most cases the etiology, pathogenesis and pathophysiology of chronic prostatitis remains unknown [8, 11, 15, 17]. It is still unclear whether the process can be initially abacterial, or whether the disease, having begun as a result of the penetration of infectious agents into the prostate gland, subsequently proceeds without their participation, i.e. passes through infectious and post-infectious phases. Obviously, it is impossible to identify microorganisms cultured from prostate secretions with the etiological factor of the disease, because in most cases this flora is saprophytic. Certainly recognized causes of bacterial inflammation of the prostate gland are E. coli, Proteus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas. Gram-positive enterococci, intracellular infections (chlamydia, ureaplasma, mycoplasma), tuberculosis seem to many researchers to be dubious pathological agents in the development of chronic prostatitis [7, 21].

The frequency of individual types of prostatitis, according to generalized literature data, is: acute bacterial prostatitis – 5–10%, chronic bacterial prostatitis – 6–10%, chronic abacterial prostatitis – 80–90% [1, 5].

The US National Institutes of Health recognizes that abacterial prostatitis is at least 8 times more common than bacterial prostatitis. According to the WHO, in the United States alone, about 3 million men of working age fall ill with chronic prostatitis every year, and chlamydial infection is detected in 40% of them [23]. The etiological significance of this and other genital tract infections in the development of chronic abacterial prostatitis has not been proven [22].

It should be noted that in patients with chronic abacterial prostatitis, pathospermia of varying severity is often detected [12]. It is known that the development of reproductive function disorders of various origins in men is accompanied by an increased formation of reactive oxygen species [2]. In particular, in chronic inflammatory diseases of the prostate gland, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species occurs with the activation of free radical oxidation of biopolymers, as a consequence, damage to sperm and a subsequent decrease in their functional activity [12].

Increased lipid peroxidation processes against the background of reduced antioxidant protection in the ejaculate is at least one of the reasons for the development of subfertility.

Treatment of pathospermia, regardless of etiological factors, is not always effective, which does not satisfy both parties - the patient and the doctor. In this regard, the search for drugs that affect spermatogenesis is an urgent task.

Since 2002, the drug Prostopin has been produced in Russia and is used in various fields of medicine [6, 10, 14, 16, 18, 19]. Prostopin is a brown rectal suppository with a specific odor of propolis. The drug includes activated propolis (native and extracts), royal jelly, dried bee bread, pollen (pollen), natural honey, beeswax, anhydrous lanolin, cocoa butter. To date, the anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effect of Prostopin has been established, but its effect on the processes of spermatogenesis, in particular, on the fertile parameters of the ejaculate, has been less studied.

Target

To evaluate the effectiveness of the drug Prostopin for pathospermia in patients with chronic prostatitis.

Materials and methods

A prospective, non-comparative study of the effect of the drug Prostopin on the reproductive function of men suffering from chronic prostatitis was conducted at the advisory clinic of the Federal State Institution "Research Institute of Urology" of the Ministry of Health and Social Development. The patient group consisted of 25 men aged from 20 to 45 years (average age 32.5 years). The clinical diagnosis of chronic abacterial prostatitis was made on the basis of patient complaints (pain in the perineum and urethra, increased urge to urinate, erased orgasm) and a clinical examination, which included ultrasound of the prostate, examination of prostate secretions and ejaculate culture. Ultrasound revealed an increase in the volume of the prostate (on average up to 29.7±6.7 cm3), swelling of the tissue and a change in the echogenicity of the pattern in the gland, which indicated a stagnant process in the organ. An analysis of prostate secretion revealed a slight increase in leukocytes to 10-12 per field of view and a decrease in the number of lecithin grains. Sperm culture did not reveal microflora growth. An analysis of the ejaculate carried out before prescribing a course of therapy revealed a decrease in sperm motility, which was assessed according to WHO standards as asthenozoospermia [23]. All patients were prescribed Prostopin as monotherapy. The course of treatment lasted 1 month, during which each patient received 2 suppositories per day (in the morning and before bedtime).

Results and discussion

At the end of the monthly course of treatment, all patients noted a decrease or disappearance of pain in the perineum; ultrasound revealed a decrease in the volume of the prostate gland on average from 29.7±6.7 to 16.6±4.7 cm3, and a change in ejaculate parameters. The table shows the results of the main fertility parameters. A significant increase in sperm volume, number of live sperm, total and active sperm motility was established. The obtained effect in relation to these parameters of the ejaculate may be due to the biological properties of the drug Prostopin. A decrease in sperm concentration was detected. In our opinion, these changes may be due to increased libido and activation of sexual activity, noted in 18 out of 25 patients. It should be noted that both before and after treatment, sperm concentration did not go beyond the reference values ​​(WHO, 2001). We believe that it is necessary to continue further studies of the properties of Prostopin in a group with a larger number of patients and a longer period of use of the drug.

Table. Main parameters of ejaculate before and after treatment (n=25).

* - the difference is significant compared with the corresponding indicator before treatment (p <0.05). ** - the difference is significant compared with the corresponding indicator before treatment (p <0.01).

conclusions

Thus, the results obtained indicate that the administration of Prostopin in the form of monotherapy is an effective, safe and affordable method of treating pathospermia in patients with chronic prostatitis. Prostopin helps improve ejaculate parameters, which allows it to be recommended for increasing fertility in pathospermia of various etiologies.

Bibliography

1. Belozerov M.N., Morozova L.V. An integrated approach to the treatment of chronic prostatitis in an outpatient setting. Mater. Congress "Men's Health" M., 2008, 91-92. 2. Bozhedomov V.A. Male immunological infertility. Diss. Doctor of Medical Sciences M., 2001. 3. Bragina E.E., Abdumalikov R.A. Guide to spermatology. M., 2002.

Problems of reproduction, 2005, No. 2, 19-22. 5. Gorilovsky L.M., Zingerenko M.B. Chronic prostatitis. Attending doctor. 2003; 7. 6. Denisov A.K., Kalmykov A.A., Saraf A.S. Prostopin is a modern, highly effective drug for the treatment of acute and chronic urological and proctological diseases of viral-bacterial origin. Difficult patient. 2007; 3:39–41. 7. Ilyin I.I. Nongonococcal urethritis in men. – M., Medicine, 1991. 8. Kogan M.I., Shangichev A.V. Evaluation of treatment of chronic prostatitis in outpatient settings. - Mater. Congress "Men's Health", M., 2008, 91-92. 9. Kulakov V.I. Infertile marriage. Modern approaches to diagnosis and treatment. M. GEOTAR-Media, 2005, 616. 10. Kuchersky V.M., Kalmykov A.A., Dubkov E.I. Modern problems in the treatment of chronic prostatitis. - RMJ. 11. Laurent O.B., Pushkar D.Yu., Segal A.S. Our understanding of prostatitis. - Pharmateka. 2002; 10: 69–75. 12. Lutsky D.L., Polunin A.I. Study of spermoplasm in chronic nonspecific prostatitis and urethritis. – Androl. and genit. surgery, 2002, No. 3, 32 – 33. 13. Nishlag E., Bere G.M. Andrology: men's health and reproductive system dysfunction. M., MIA, 2005, 554. 14. Perepanova T.S., Khazan P.L. Prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory complications in a urological clinic. All-Russian scientific and practical conference. M., 2007, 105-106. 15. Perepanova T.S. Modern management of patients with chronic prostatitis. – Effective pharmacotherapy in urology. 2009, No. 2, 2 – 7. 16. Prostopin. - A manual for doctors. M.: 2007: 20. 17. Pushkar D.Yu., Zaitsev A.V., Rasner P.I. Optimization of the algorithm for diagnosis and treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis. - RMJ. 2008; 16:17:34–38. 18. Saraf A.S., Suvorov A.N. A complex natural preparation in the form of suppositories for the treatment of urological, proctological and gynecological diseases and a method for its preparation. Description of the patent for an invention. 2000. 19. Saraf A.S., Kalmykov A.A., Denisov A.K. On the effectiveness of using the new original domestic drug Prostopin for the treatment of acute and chronic prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia. - Difficult patient. 2007; 12:5–7. 20. Ter-Avanesov G.V. Andrological aspects of infertile marriage. M., 2002. 21. Tiktinsky O.L. Guide to andrology. L., 1990. 22. Tkachuk V.N. Chronic prostatitis. M., 2006. 23. WHO guidelines for laboratory testing of human ejaculate and the interaction of sperm with cervical mucus. 4th ed. M., 2001. 24. Comhaire F, Decleer W. Quantifying the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of food supplementation with antioxidants for male infertility. Reprod Biomed Online. 2011 May 19. 25. Foster R, DaCosta V, Everett D, Christie L, Harriott J, Wynter S, Frederick J, Walters Y. Successful treatment of severe male factor infertility in Jamaica with intracytoplasmic sperm injection. West Indian Med J 2011 Jan;60(1):41-5. 26. Rozen S. Defending male fertility. Sci Transl Med. 2011 Jul 20;3(92):92ps31.

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AUTHENTICITY

External signs

Whole raw materials. The fruits are egg-shaped achenes, slightly compressed on the sides, 5 to 8 mm long, 2 to 4 mm wide. The apex is obliquely truncated with a protruding blunt thick remnant of a style and a pointed ridge around it or without a remnant of a style. The base of the achene is blunt, the scar is slit-like or rounded. The surface is smooth, sometimes longitudinally wrinkled, shiny or matte, often spotted. On a cross section of the fruit under a magnifying glass (10×) or a stereomicroscope (16×), the pericarp, tightly closed with the seed coat, and 2 cotyledons of the embryo are visible. The color is from black to light brown, sometimes with a lilac tint, the ridge is lighter. The smell is weak. The taste of the water extract is slightly bitter.

Microscopic signs

Whole raw materials. On transverse and longitudinal sections of the achenes, cotyledons should be visible, surrounded by a thick layer of tightly fused sclereids, noticeable by their natural yellow color. A cross section of the pericarp shows a layer of cuticle covering a heterogeneous epidermis, which from the base of the achene is represented by small thick-walled, slightly porous cells, from the apex of the achene turning into elongated thick-walled cells covered with a thick layer of cuticle. There are no stomata in the epidermis of the fetus. Directly behind the epidermis there is a pigment layer consisting of 1 row of thin-walled, loose cells with brown contents. This is followed by a layer of fibrous mesocarp cells from 1 to 10 rows, stained yellow with aniline sulfate. Further behind the layer of fibrous cells is the seed coat, represented by a thick layer of elongated sclereids with thickened walls. Behind the layer of sclereids, in the shell of the achene, is the fetal parenchyma, represented by dilapidated collapsed cells. The peel is fused with the parenchyma of the inner part of the fruit and consists of several rows of collapsed cells of the seed coat parenchyma, as well as a remnant of the endosperm fused to it, represented by one row of large cells filled with aleurone grains. The bulk of the seed consists of large cotyledons, made of thin-walled cells of storage parenchyma (elongated shape).

The cells of the cotyledons contain fatty oil and round-shaped aleurone grains. Small druses of calcium oxalate are often found in the cells of the storage parenchyma.

Milk thistle fruit. Cross section of peel

Figure – Milk thistle fruit. Cross section of the peel.

1 – cuticle, 2 – palisade-like elongated cells of the epidermis, 3 – pigment layer, 4 – fibrous cells, 5 – sclereids, 6 – collapsed fetal parenchyma cells, 7 – collapsed seed coat parenchyma cells, 8 – endosperm residue (100×)