Silymarin Content in Silybum Marianum (L.) Gaertner from the Ayacucho Region

Aronés-Jara M.R.; Cárdenas-Landeo E.; Yarlequé Mujica J.A.; Paniagua-Segovia J.C.; Godoy Bautista K.; Gómez-Quispe M.; Espinoza-Córdova G. · Revista Cubana de Farmacia (2025)

Resumen

Introduction: Silybum marianum is a plant species whose fruits contain silymarin, mainly used for liver disorders and whose flavonolignan composition varies according to soil and climatic conditions. Objective: To determine the silymarin content in fruits of Silybum marianum populations growing in the Ayacucho region. Methods: Samples of Silybum marianum were collected in the districts of Socos, Quinua and Acos Vinchos, province of Huamanga, Ayacucho region. The dry extract of its fruits was obtained by accelerated extraction using acetone as solvent. Silymarin was identified by UV-VIS spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography. Silymarin quantification was carried out by spectrophotometry, total phenol content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, flavonoid content was evaluated by the aluminium trichloride method, and antioxidant activity was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. Results: Yellow dry extracts of crystalline appearance were obtained. Silymarin was identified at a wavelength of 288 nm, with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showing similarities higher than 70 %. The extract from Acos Vinchos had the highest silymarin content (75.2 ± 1.9 %), while that from Quinoa was notable for its higher content of total phenols (60.6 ± 0.2 mgGAE/g) and flavonoids (16.7 mgRUE/g). The antioxidant activity of the extracts showed a direct correlation with the content of phenolic compounds (r = 0.963). In addition, the flavonolignans isosilicristin, silicristin, silydianin, silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A and isosilybin B were identified. Conclusions: The study confirmed that silymarin content and antioxidant activity in Silybum marianum fruits show significant variability according to their origin within the Ayacucho region.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; Universidad Nacional de San Cristóbal de Huamanga