Abstract
Liver fibrosis occurs due to liver injuries and toxins. Silymarin (SMR) extracted by the milk thistle seeds, is widely used such as herbal drug for its hepatoprotective properties. The purpose of this study to assess the properties of an optimized dose of encapsulated crude SMR on antidiabetic activity and liver fibrosis induced by paracetamol in male albino rat. Hepatic fibrosis was assessed by measuring liver enzymes. Results revealed that the consumption of encapsulated SMR, can effectively affluence the target and avoid the degradation of bioactive compound. Body weight of animal also significantly increased in each group during all the period. According to our optimized study, the long-term induction of SMR (300 mg/kg) significantly amplified survival time of rats with paracetamol induced hepatic injuries. The changes of liver fibrosis and the significant increase of hepatic enzyme biomarkers were also observed. In conclusion, the results suggest that SMR acts as a hepatoprotective agent by inhibiting the fibrogenisis and apoptosis in liver, as well as insulin resistance.