Authors	Theme of the study and the main findings of the authors
Gillessen A, Schmidt HHJ, 2020 [25]	Meta-analysis and review of pharmacological properties. Enumeration of the hepatoprotective properties of silymarin, presenting clinical case studies and clinical follow-up of patients.
Surai PF, 2015 [7]	Illustrate the mechanisms of action and pharmacological properties.
Abenavoli L, et al., 2010 [13]	Historical approach to therapeutic use, with a presentation of the different pharmacological properties of silymarin.
Majnooni MB, et al., 2020 [66]	Silymarin phytochemicals, with different molecular targets and signalling mechanisms, including the reduction of pro-inflammatory and oxidative mediators such as TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, NF-κB, MMPs, iNOS, MAPK, COX-2 and ROS minimize lung damage.
Tvrdý V, et al., 2021 [14]	Pharmacokinetics and interactions of silymarin flavonolignans. The low oral systemic bioavailability of flavonolignans is due to rapid conjugation in intestinal cells or hepatocytes and due to the flux of parental flavonolignans or formed conjugates back into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract and rapid hepatic excretion.
Di Costanzo A, Angelico R, 2019 [18]	Although clinical trials have proven that silymarin is safe in high doses in humans, there are limiting factors: its low water solubility, low bioavailability and intestinal malabsorption. Thus, nanotechnological strategies can increase bioavailability and provide prolonged release, which seems to be promising to enhance its therapeutic action.
Vargas-Mendoza N, et al., 2020 [3]	Several properties have been attributed to flavolignans (silybin, isosylibin, silicristin, isosylcristine and silidianin): antioxidant and protective activities, probably related to the activation of nuclear factor 2 related to erythroid factor 2 (NFE2) (Nrf2), known as a master regulator of the cytoprotective response. Disruption of Nrf2 signaling has been associated with different pathological conditions. Some silymarin Phyto complexes have been shown to participate in this signaling pathway and suggested as activators that interrupt interactions in the Keap1-Nrf2 system, but also as antioxidants or with additional actions related to Nrf2 regulation.
Karimi G, et al., 2011 [67]	Silymarin has dose-dependent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic action and modifies cell transporters. Therefore, it is promising in complementary medicine.
Khayam MU, et al., 2017 [68]	Discussion on how to develop nanoparticles that allow and facilitate the absorption of oral silymarin solutions; Demonstration that the preparation of silymarin through the APSP and EPN process allows the generation of much more soluble particles than unprocessed silymarin.