Scholarlink

Background <p>Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers represent a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Silibinin, the primary active constituent of milk thistle, possesses anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study systematically evaluates the therapeutic effects of silibinin in preclinical animal models of GI cancers.</p> Methods <p>PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies were selected based on PICOS criteria, and risk of bias was assessed using the SYRCLE tool. Outcomes were pooled using a random-effects model and reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to address heterogeneity.</p> Results <p>Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria. Silibinin significantly reduced tumor volume (SMD = -2.72) and tumor weight (SMD = -1.86), demonstrating promising antitumor efficacy. Notably, body weight was not significantly altered (SMD = 0.53, 95% CI: −0.41 to 1.48) and diet consumption showed a significant increase (SMD = 1.09), together indicating that silibinin exerts its anticancer effects without compromising nutritional status suggesting preliminary tolerability in animal models. At the molecular level, PCNA expression was significantly suppressed (SMD = -4.31), reflecting a consistent reduction in cellular proliferation, while apoptosis was significantly elevated (SMD = 6.00), confirming pro-apoptotic activity across GI cancer models.</p> Conclusion <p>Silibinin significantly suppresses tumor growth and promotes apoptosis in preclinical GI cancer models while demonstrating encouraging preliminary tolerability. These findings support its potential as an adjunctive anticancer agent; however, further clinical studies are warranted to validate these results and enable more definitive conclusions regarding its therapeutic efficacy.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Therapeutic effects of silibinin in preclinical animal models of gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic review and meta‑analysis

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月13日

查看全文
  • Davood Mohammadi,
  • Amir Hossein Aghayan,
  • Diba Mohammadi,
  • Zahra Jamalpoor

摘要

Background

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers represent a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Silibinin, the primary active constituent of milk thistle, possesses anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study systematically evaluates the therapeutic effects of silibinin in preclinical animal models of GI cancers.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies were selected based on PICOS criteria, and risk of bias was assessed using the SYRCLE tool. Outcomes were pooled using a random-effects model and reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to address heterogeneity.

Results

Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria. Silibinin significantly reduced tumor volume (SMD = -2.72) and tumor weight (SMD = -1.86), demonstrating promising antitumor efficacy. Notably, body weight was not significantly altered (SMD = 0.53, 95% CI: −0.41 to 1.48) and diet consumption showed a significant increase (SMD = 1.09), together indicating that silibinin exerts its anticancer effects without compromising nutritional status suggesting preliminary tolerability in animal models. At the molecular level, PCNA expression was significantly suppressed (SMD = -4.31), reflecting a consistent reduction in cellular proliferation, while apoptosis was significantly elevated (SMD = 6.00), confirming pro-apoptotic activity across GI cancer models.

Conclusion

Silibinin significantly suppresses tumor growth and promotes apoptosis in preclinical GI cancer models while demonstrating encouraging preliminary tolerability. These findings support its potential as an adjunctive anticancer agent; however, further clinical studies are warranted to validate these results and enable more definitive conclusions regarding its therapeutic efficacy.

Graphical abstract