Background and Aim: Silymarin is used for the treatment of liver disease due to its hepatoprotective effects. however, the use of its extract is limited due to poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. This study aimed to prepare a new formulation of silymarin and to evaluate its hepatoprotective effect after liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats.
Materials and Methods: In an experimental study, a new form of silymarin was prepared.  A total number of 24 rats were divided into 4 groups. The two treatment groups were administered with silymarin extract and silymarin nanomicelle for 14 days before being damaged by CCl4. At the end of the study, blood samples were collected to determine serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lipid profile. Moreover, antioxidant and oxidative stress enzyme activities were assessed in hepatic tissue. A one-way ANOVA test was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The activity of ALT and AST liver enzymes and the level of lipid profile parameters were significantly decreased in nanomicelle treated group compared to the silymarin-treated group (P<0.05). Also, the activity of liver antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the nanomicelle treated group showed a significant increase compared to the silymarin extract (P<0.05). The level of the Liver MDA was significantly decreased in the nanomicelle group compared to the silymarin extract (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that silymarin nanomicelle has better hepatoprotective effects in ameliorating CCl₄ toxicity in rats compared with extract of silymarin