1. Home
  2. Poultry Herbs A-Z
  3. Milk thistle

Milk Thistle


Silybum marianum

Milk thistle

Other Names:

Mary Thistle, Holy Thistle, Lady's Thistle, Legalon, Marian Thistle, Mariendistel

Benefits

  • Antioxidant
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antitumor
  • Heptoprotective
  • Kidney-protection
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a flowering herb known for its important medicinal properties. Mediterranean region. It has been used for thousands of years as a herbal remedy for a variety of ailments, particularly for the liver. The main chemical component in milk thistle is silymarin, a group of flavonoids (silibinin, silidianin, and silicristin), which are thought to help repair and protect liver cells. Silymarin is extracted from the seeds, which contain 70 to 80%. Specific applications relating to chickens include:
  • Liver Protection: Milk thistle may have protective effects on the liver, preventing damage.
  • Mycotoxins: Milk thistle helps protect birds from the negative effects of aflatoxin B1 and possibly ochratoxin A (OTA).

Poultry Specific Studies

TypePlant PartDosageSpecific useResultsRef
Chickens0.5%/kg feedMinimized the adverse effects of ingesting feed contaminated with mycotoxins.M Abdulwahid et al., 2021
Ducks600 mg/kg of dietliver protection, aflatoxicosisDemonstrated positive effects against liver and kidneys damage caused by ingestion of aflatoxins.S El-Sheshtawy et al., 2021
Chickensextractup to 2.0 mg/kg body weightblood parametersincreased the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin, white blood cells in the blood, as well as a decrease in the level of albumin and an increase in the content of beta-globulins in serum.O Bagno et al., 2021
Chickens1 to 100 mL/Kg of dietliver protectionAlleviated the adverse effects of oxidative stress on the liver.A Baradaran et al., 2019
Chickensliver protectionModerated the immune system by boosting IL-4, IFN, and IL-10. May be used as a cheap, non-toxic and safe feed additive to manage liver related disorders in chickens.M Saeed et al., 2017
Hens400 mg/kg of feedinhibited steroidogenesisS Romanelli et al., 2016
Chickensseed extract0.5-1% dietantioxidant, aflatoxicosisProvided protection against the negative effects of aflatoxins in poultry feed. H Amiridumari et al., 2013
Chickens50-75 mg/kg PO q12hantioxidantClinical Veterinary Advisor
Hens200-400 mg/kg of dietantioxidantImproved egg laying rate and feed conversion rate. Significantly increased total lipids and total sterols levels of the eggs.A Quarantelli et al., 2009

References

Popular Health Tools

Switch Animal