What is milk thistle characteristics and morphology?

Milk Thistle is named after the milky liquid that flows from the stems and leaves of the milk Thistle, which is the result of a legend that the Virgin Mary accidentally dropped a drop on the Thistle when she was feeding it. Milk thistle is extremely resistant to drought and cold and can reduce liver inflammation such as hepatitis and cirrhosis. The ancient Greeks already knew that milk thistle had therapeutic properties for jaundice; As early as 77 AD, a Roman named Pilny the Elder discovered that milk thistle could be used to treat liver disease. Doctors in Medieval Europe also used milk thistle to treat liver and other diseases. Silicristin and Silidianin are silicristin flavones that have a protective effect on the liver. Silymarin has strong antioxidant power and can increase Glutathione content in the liver. Scientific studies in Germany have confirmed that Silymarin can inhibit 5-lipoxyenase(an enzyme that accelerates oxidation in the body), inhibit the proliferation of a tumor cell, and inhibit the differentiation and growth of cancer cells. 

Silymarin main functions are as follows:

· Strengthen and protect the liver and prevent toxic substances.

· Promote regeneration of hepatocytes and reconstruction of damaged hepatocytes to prevent cirrhosis.

· Protect liver cells from free radical damage.

Joseph, chairman of Bastyr University in Washington state. "Milk thistle is probably the most effective liver protector known," says Joseph Pizzorno, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. It's very effective."

Milk thistle has been used for more than 30 years to nourish the liver. It has three main functions: first, it protects the outer layer of the liver membrane; Enhance antioxidant function, thus reducing the damage of liver cells by free radicals; And regenerate damaged liver cells. Milk thistle also protects against hepatitis, cirrhosis, gallstones and other problems.

Herb pharm milk thistle physical characteristics

Herbs annual or biennial, 1.2 m tall. Stems erect, branched, ribbed, rarely unbranched, all stem branches with white silty coverings, sparsely silky or depilated. Basal leaves rosulate and lower stem petiolate, holoelliptic or oblanceolate, up to 50 cm long and 30 cm wide, pinnate lobed to entire; Middle and upper leaves tapering, long ovate or lanceolate, pinnate lobed or margin undulate crenate, base caudate acuminate, base cordate, semicoluminate, uppermost leaves smaller, undivided, lanceolate, base cordate. Leaves monochromatic, green, large white mottled, glabrous, thin, margin or lobe margin and apex with hard yellow needling, 5 mm long.

Inflorescences larger, branchlike end, plants with many inflorescences, but do not form distinct inflorescences. Involucre globose or ovoid, 3 -- 5 cm in diameter. Total bracts 6 layer, the outer spoon wide, oval, rhomboid to lanceolate, including the top needle 1-3 cm long, including edge needle up to 1.2 cm wide, base or lower part or most close to the edge of acupuncture, the upper expanding into circular, triangle, close to the diamond or hard leaf appendages, appendages have hard needle edge or the base, 4-12 needles on each side, 1-2 mm long, with 5 mm long needles on the top of appendages; Inner bracts linear-lanceolate, ca. 2.7 x 4 cm, margin needle-free, distally without phylloid appendages, apex acuminate. All bracts glabrous, middle and outer bracts hard, leathery. Florets reddish-purple, rarely white, 3 cm long, 2.1cm long, 5-lobed eaves, segments 6 mm long. Filaments short and broad, distally separated, proximally agglutinated by viscous pilose.