COMPARATIVE QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF MARKETED SILYMARIN TABLETS

In recent years, the popularity of silymarin, lauded for their nutritional and health benefits, has soared. Among these products, silymarin and its main constituent, silibinin, have a hepatoprotective effect due to their antioxidant activity as well as a membrane-stabilizing property that inhibits or stops the process of lipid peroxidation. Additionally, they may help avoid gallbladder and spleen diseases. It’s anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-diabetic qualities are well known. However, challenges related to standardization and quality control persist in the realm of herbal medicines, including silymarin supplements. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of widely used silymarin tablets from three different commercial brands, employing established pharmacopeia standards. Parameters assessed included post-formulation characteristics (diameter, thickness, hardness, friability, weight variation, and disintegration) and quantification of silibinin using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The findings confirmed that the investigated silymarin tablets adhered to specified post-formulation parameters, reinforcing their reliability as dietary supplements. The silibinin content determined by HPLC was found to be 40.60, 40.39 mg and 60.17 mg per tablet respectively.