Abstract

Silybum marianum is a wild medicinal plant containing silymarin, which is a known drug, used as the hepatoprotective agent. S. marianum growing in different areas of NWFP were collected and analyzed for the silymarin and oil contents. In all the samples analyzed for the silymarin, high yield was found in the sample collected from Swat district (3.85%) while high yield of oil was recorded in the sample collected from Kohat district (27.87%). The rest of samples for silymarin contents were found between 2.98 to 3.85% while the oil contents were found to be between 11 to 27.87%. Both the yield of silymarin and oil contents found in all the samples depend on the environment in which the plants were grown and the environmental conditions affecting both the contents of silymarin and oil of this highly medicinal plant. The analysis is of particular importance for collecting this medicinal plant for silymarin content and utilization in the pharmaceuticals.

Key words: Silybum marianum, silymarin, milk thistle, oil contents.