Patented Bioavailability Enhancement Techniques of Silymarin

The present article dwells in reviewing critically the patents published mainly on the new emerging trends and techniques for increasing the bioavailability of silymarin, the polyphenolic fraction obtained from the seeds of Silybum marianum. The use of this herb for treating various ailments like hepatitis, cirrhosis, jaundice, mushroom and toxin poisoning is well known. But the potential use of this herbal drug is limited due to the poor absorption and poor bioavailability after oral administration. The belief that the natural medicines are much safer than synthetic drugs, has gained popularity in recent years and led to tremendous growth of phytopharmaceutical usage and thus the need of improving the bioavailability by various means like complexation, derivatization, solubilization, targeted delivery, controlled delivery and many other miscellaneous techniques.