Silymarin and its components scavenge phenylglyoxylic ketyl radicals

The antioxidant properties of silymarin and its flavanolignan components (silybin, silychristin and silydianin) were tested. Silymarin, silychristin and silydianin exhibit relatively good antioxidant effectiveness against phenylglyoxylic ketyl radicals and DPPH. The most effective scavengers of phenylglyoxylic ketyl radicals were silymarin and silychristin whereas silydianin was ca. 5-times less active than the first two compounds whereas silybin was ineffective. The scavenging properties of the studied compounds against DPPH radicals were in the same sequence: silymarin > silychristin > silydianin > silybin.