14.9.2015.

MilkThistle

MILKTHISTLE:ANUNDERUTILIZEDPLANTOFMANYUSES

WHATISMILKTHISTLE?
AlmightyAllahhasbestowedavarietyofflorawithamazingproperties.MilkThistle(Silybum
Marianum)isanancientplantnativetoEuropeisanannualorbiennialherb,belongstofamily
composite.ItgrowsabundantlyinPakistanasaweedwithwheatcropaswellasonunutilized,
barrenground.ItspeakmaturityperiodisApriltoJuly.Thisplanthastremendouspotentialtobe
exploited.

MEDICINALUSESOFMILKTHISTLE
Theseeds,fruitandleavesofMilkThistlehavebeenusedsincetheRomantimesasalivertonic,
excellentfoodforcattleandhorses.ThestandardizedextractSilymarinisusedinsupportive
therapyofliverdisorderlikestimulatesproteinsynthesisinhepaticcells,improvesdisturbed
hepaticfunctions.Itcontainsmixtureofflavonoidswhichcontributegreatlytodietarysourcesof
antioxidantsandtheirintakesdecreasedtheriskofcoronaryheartdiseasesandincreases
immunitytoinfectiouscellsandinhibitthegrowthoftumors.

NUTRITIONALCOMPOSITIONOFMILKTHISTLESEEDS
TheseedsofplanthavebeenevaluatedatNIFAforitsoil,protein,fiberandmineralcontents.
TheproximatecompositionofMilkThistleseedspresentedasfollows:

Amount(%)

Constituent

CrudeMoisture
Protein
Fat
Ash
Fiber
Carbohydratecontents

4.48
23.0
26.65
3.4
4.55
37.72

MineralsandNutrients:Theroleoftraceelementsinhumannutritionanddiseasecannotbe

overemphasized.Eventhoughthemineralelementsformasmallportionoftotalcompositionof

mostplantmaterialsandoftotalbodyweightandtheydonotcontributetoenergyvalueoffood,
buttheyareofgreatphysiologicalimportanceparticularlyinbodymetabolism.Theresults
indicatesthattheseedsoftestplantcontainsMg2,225ppm,Ca778.5ppm,Cu108.3ppm,Fe
74.3ppm,Zn69.4ppm,Pb44.3ppm,Ni35.5,Mn23.5ppm,Cr6.8ppmandtheCd3.2ppm
showedthelowestconcentration.ItcanbededucedthattheseedsofMilkThistleifconsumed,
couldbeagoodsourceofminerals.PresencesofrichamountofcalciumandMagnesiumarea
specialfeature.
MilkThistleProtein:Thedefattedseedscontainanexcellentqualityandquantityofprotein,
rangingfrom2024%.Thequalitativeanalysisofproteinhydrolyzaterevealedtenaminoacids.
AmongtheseAsparticacid,Glutamicacid,Glycine,andcystinwerethemajoraminoacids.
ThereforetheMilkThistlemealasbyproductafteritscrushforoilcouldbeusedasahigh
proteinanimalandpoultryfeed.Theuniquecompositionofaminoacidsandimportant
nutritionalmineralsmakeitrichfeed.

MILKTHISTLEOIL

TheseedsofMilkThistlecontain2639%fixedoil.Fattyacidcompositionofmilkthistleoilin
comparisontosunfloweroilispresentedinTable.Thecompositionoftheseedoilrevealedthat
linoleicacid(64.59%)andoleicacid(23.59%)arethepredominantfattyacids.Thelinoleicand
oleicacidcontentsaresimilartothatinsunfloweroil.Milkthistleoilisfairlyhighin
polyunsaturatedfattyacidsparticularlyanessentialfattyacidi.e.,linoleicacid(Omega3),which
isbelievedtobehelpfulinloweringcholesterol,wheninducedinthediet.

FattyAcids

http://www.nifa.org.pk/FSDMilkThistle.htm

%Concentration
Milk
Sunfloweroil
Thistleoil

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14.9.2015.

MilkThistle

C160
Palmitic
C180Stearic
C181Oleic
C182Linoleic

12.62

7.23

5.9
23.59
64.59

2.55
23.25
66.44

FOODUSESOFMILKTHISTLE

TheMilkThistleseedshaverecentlybeenusedinpreparationofbiscuits,cake,andpizza.Upto
3%ofthewheatflourreplacedwithtestmaterial.Theresultingdoughwasmoreuniform,smoo
therandlesssticky.Thefinishedbakedproductshaveimprovednutritionalquality,crustcolor,
texture,andsymmetryandstayedfreshlongerthancontrol

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