Milk Thistle Compound Helps to Protect Against Skin Cancer
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Posted on Feb 19, 2013, 6 a.m.
Silibinin, the extract of milk thistle, kills skin cells mutated by UVA radiation - which makes up about 95% of the sun’s radiation that reaches Earth.
UVA radiation (315–400 nm), which constitutes approximately 95% of the UV irradiation in natural sunlight reaching earth surface, is a major environmental risk factor associated with human skin cancers. Rajesh Agarwal, from the University of Colorado Cancer Center (Colorado, USA), and colleagues subjected human skin cells pretreated with silibinin to UVA radiation. The team observed that the rate at which these damaged cells died increased dramatically. Specifically, the study shows that pretreatment with silibinin resulted in higher release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the UVA-exposed cells, leading to higher rates of cell death. The study authors conclude that: “These results suggest that silibinin may be beneficial in the removal of UVA-damaged cells and the prevention of skin cancer.”
Sreekanth Narayanapillai, Chapla Agarwal, Cynthia Tilley, Rajesh Agarwal. “Silibinin Is a Potent Sensitizer of UVA Radiation-induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Human Keratinocyte HaCaT Cells.” Photochemistry and Photobiology, Volume 88, Issue 5, September/October 2012, Pages: 1135–1140.
