botanical record · discovered
Milk Thistle
Silybum marianum
Milk Thistle · Lady's Thistle · Armurariu · Blessed milkthistle · Boerkwasdissel · Card marià · Cardet marian · Cardo di Santa Maria · Cardo leiteiro · Chardon Marie · Chardon marie · Cribau Mair · Disseld · Echte Mariendistel (DE); Milk Thistle · Gewöhnliche Mariendistel · Holy Thistle
At a glance
Origin / distribution: Turkey, Mediterranean, Kurdistan, China, Europe, US, Spain, India
Cultural traditions: not documented
Recorded uses: Cholagogue, Coffee, Depurative, Emmenagogue
Science studied: ALUMINUM, BEHENIC-ACID, BETA-CAROTENE, CHROMIUM
Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗
Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.
Names and identity
Family: Asteraceae
Scientific name: Silybum marianum
Common names: Milk Thistle, Lady's Thistle, Armurariu, Blessed milkthistle, Boerkwasdissel, Card marià, Cardet marian, Cardo di Santa Maria, Cardo leiteiro, Chardon Marie, Chardon marie, Cribau Mair, Disseld, Echte Mariendistel (DE); Milk Thistle, Gewöhnliche Mariendistel, Holy Thistle
POWO: 249211-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone
History
The source record documents this plant in Turkey, Mediterranean, Elsewhere, Kurdistan, China, Europe, US, Spain and 2 additional places.
It records these historical or traditional applications:
- Cholagogue
- Coffee
- Depurative
- Emmenagogue
- Fever
- Galactogogue
- Hemostat
- Hepatitis
show 16 more documented entries
- Jaundice
- Leucorrhea
- Poison
- Purgative
- Stimulant
- Sudorific
- Tonic
- Diabetes
- Dropsy
- Spleen
- Alterative
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Chest
- Calculus
- Gall-Bladder
This summary is limited to the cited source record.
Origins and distribution
- Turkey
- Mediterranean
- Elsewhere
- Kurdistan
- China
- Europe
- US
- Spain
- India
- Iraq
Documented cultural uses
- Cholagogue
- Coffee
- Depurative
- Emmenagogue
- Fever
- Galactogogue
- Hemostat
- Hepatitis
- Jaundice
- Leucorrhea
- Poison
- Purgative
show 12 more documented entries
- Stimulant
- Sudorific
- Tonic
- Diabetes
- Dropsy
- Spleen
- Alterative
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Chest
- Calculus
- Gall-Bladder
Cultural record detail
These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.
- Cholagogue · Turkey · "
- Coffee · Mediterranean · "
- Coffee · Elsewhere · "
- Depurative · Mediterranean · "
- Depurative · Turkey · "
- Emmenagogue · Kurdistan · "
- Emmenagogue · Turkey · "
- Fever · Turkey · "
- Galactogogue · Elsewhere · "
- Hemostat · Elsewhere · "
- Hepatitis · Elsewhere · "
- Hepatitis · China · "
- Jaundice · Mediterranean · "
- Jaundice · Turkey · "
- Jaundice · Europe · "
- Leucorrhea · Mediterranean · "
- Poison · Elsewhere · "
- Poison · US · "
- Purgative · Elsewhere · "
- Stimulant · Turkey · "
- Sudorific · Turkey · "
- Tonic · Turkey · "
- Diabetes · Elsewhere · "
- Dropsy · Mediterranean · "
9 additional documented entries remain in the source record.
Contemporary uses
Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.
Scientific research
Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.
Indexed research records
- Silybum marianum against multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens: mechanisms of action, synergistic therapy, nanoformulations, and clinical translation. · 2026 source ↗
- Isolation and characterization of cellulose nanocrystals from reticulated fibers covering the stem of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.). · 2026 source ↗
- <i>Silybum marianum</i>-Derived Compounds in Prostate Cancer: Mechanisms of Action and Translational Potential. · 2026 source ↗
Scientific compounds
Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.
- ALUMINUM
- BEHENIC-ACID
- BETA-CAROTENE
- CHROMIUM
- CHRYSOERIOL
- DEHYDROCONIFERYL-ALCOHOL
- 2,3-DEHYDROSILYCHRISTIN
- 3-DEOXYSILYCHRISTIN
- DIHYDROSILYBIN
- FAT
- HISTAMINE
- IRON
- KAEMPFEROL
- LINOLENIC-ACID
- MAGNESIUM
- MANGANESE
show 119 more documented entries
- NEOSILYHERMIN
- PROTEIN
- QUERCETIN
- SILYMARIN
- SODIUM
- TRIDECADIEN-(3,5)-TRIIN-(7,9,11)-OL-(1)-ACETATE
- TRIDECATRIEN-(1,3,11)-TRIIN-(5,7,9)
- TRIDECEN-(12)-TETRAIN-(4,6,8,10)-AL-(1)
- WATER
- ZINC
- APIGENIN
- SILICON
- COBALT
- 2,3-DEHYDROSILYMARIN
- HEPTADECATRIEN-(1,8,15)-DIIN-(11,13)
- NARINGENIN
- SELENIUM
- SILYHERMIN
- TIN
- TRIDECEN-(1)-PENTAIN(3,5,7,9,11)
- POTASSIUM
- ASH
- EO
- HEPTADECATRIEN-(1,8,15)-DIIN-(11,13)-OL-(10)
- TRIDECADIEN-(1,11)-TETRAIN-(3,5,7,9)
- CALCIUM
- PHOSPHORUS
- APIGENIN-7-O-BETA-D-(2''-O-ALPHA-L-RHAMNOSYL)-GALACTURONIDE
- APIGENIN-7-O-BETA-D-GLUCURONIDE-6''-ETHYL-ESTER
- APIGENIN-7-O-BETA-GALACTOSIDE
- ARACHIDIC-ACID
- AROMADENDRIN
- BETAINE
- GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC-ACID
- CNICIN
- COSMOSIIN
- CYSTEINE
- DEHYDRODICONIFERYL-ALCOHOL
- DODECA-1-11-DIENE-3-5-7-9-TETRAYNE
- ETHYLENE
- FIXED-OIL
- 4'-5-7-TRIHYDROXY-3'-5'-DIMETHOXY-FLAVANONE
- FLAVONES
- FRUCTOSE
- GLUCOSE
- GLUTAMIC-ACID
- GLYCINE
- HEPTADECA-1-8-15-TRIENE-11-13-DIYN-10-OL
- HEPTADECA-1-8-15-TRIENE-11-13-DIYNE
- HEPTADECA-1-CIS-8-CIS-15-TRIENE-11-13-DIYN-10-OL
- HEPTADECA-CIS-2-CIS-9-16-TRIENE-4-6-DIYNE
- KAEMPFEROL-3-O-ALPHA-L-RHAMNOSIDE-7-O-BETA-D-GALACTURONIDE
- KAEMPFEROL-3-O-ALPHA-RHAMNOSIDE
- KARDOLLIN-22
- KARDOLLIN-75
- KARDOLLIN-95
- LEUCINE
- MUCILAGE
- MYRISTIC-ACID
- OCTADECADIENOIC-ACID
- OCTADECATRIENOIC-ACID
- OLEIC-ACID
- PALMITIC-ACID
- PEROXIDASE-ISOENZYMES
- PROLINE
- SILANDRIN
- SILYBIN
- SILYBIN-A
- ISOSILYBIN-A
- SILYBIN-B
- ISOSILYBIN-B
- DEHYDROSILYBIN
- ISOSILYBIN
- SILYBININ
- SILYBONOL
- SILYBUM-MARIANUM-POLYACETYLENE-IX
- SILYBUM-MARIANUM-POLYACETYLENE-VII
- SILYBUM-MARIANUM-POLYACETYLENE-VIII
- SILYBUM-MARIANUM-POLYACETYLENE-X
- SILYBUM-MARIANUM-POLYACETYLENE-XII
- SILYBUM-MARIANUM-POLYACETYLENE-XIII
- SILYCHRISTIN
- ISOSILYCHRISTIN
- SILYDIANIN
- SILYMONIN
- BETA-SITOSTEROL
- STEARIC-ACID
- TAXIFOLIN
- (+)-TAXIFOLIN
- TRIDEC-1-ENE-3-5-7-9-11-PENTAYNE
- TRIDEC-12-ENE-4-6-8-10-TETRAYN-1-AL
- 1-2-EPOXY-TRIDEC-3-ENE-5-7-9-11-TETRAYNE
- TRIDECA-1-11-DIENE-3-5-7-9-TETRAYNE
- TRIDECA-1-3-11-TRIENE-5-7-9-TRIYNE
- TRIDECA-3,5-DIENE-7,9,11-TRIYN-1-OL-ACETATE
- TYRAMINE
- APIGENIN-7-O-GLUCOSIDE
- APIGENIN-7-O-GLUCURONIDE
- ERIODICTYOL
- LINOLEIC-ACID
- LUTEOLIN
- LUTEOLIN-7-GLUCOSIDE
- SILANDRIN-3-DESOXY-ISOSILYBIN
- SILYBINOME
- TRIAMINE
- 3-DEOXYSILYDIANIN
- 5,7-DIHYDROXYCHROMONE
- (-)-SILANDRIN
- NIACIN
- ASCORBIC-ACID
- FIBER(CRUDE)
- FIBER(DIETARY)
- RIBOFLAVIN
- THIAMINE
- FUMARIC-ACID
- KARDOLLIN-35
- NITRATES
- OCTADECENOIC-ACID
- SILYBUM-MARIANUM-POLYACETYLENE-XI
Legality
No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.
Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.
Sources
Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP
World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0
show claim source mapping
- identity · DH-SRC-0030
- documented_uses · DH-SRC-0030
- compounds · DH-SRC-0030
- taxonomy · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- common_names · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- countries · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- wfo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0003 · source ↗
- cultural_records · DH-SRC-0030 · source ↗
- powo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0001 · source ↗
- wcvp_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0002 · source ↗
CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive
Contributions and revisions
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