Therapeutic effects of silibinin in preclinical animal models of gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic review and meta‑analysis.

Authors

Davood Mohammadi, Amir Hossein Aghayan, Diba Mohammadi, Zahra Jamalpoor

Published in

BMC cancer. Jul 13, 2026. Epub Jul 13, 2026.

Abstract

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers represent a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Silibinin, the primary active constituent of milk thistle, possesses anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study systematically evaluates the therapeutic effects of silibinin in preclinical animal models of GI cancers.
PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies were selected based on PICOS criteria, and risk of bias was assessed using the SYRCLE tool. Outcomes were pooled using a random-effects model and reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to address heterogeneity.
Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria. Silibinin significantly reduced tumor volume (SMD = -2.72) and tumor weight (SMD = -1.86), demonstrating promising antitumor efficacy. Notably, body weight was not significantly altered (SMD = 0.53, 95% CI: -0.41 to 1.48) and diet consumption showed a significant increase (SMD = 1.09), together indicating that silibinin exerts its anticancer effects without compromising nutritional status suggesting preliminary tolerability in animal models. At the molecular level, PCNA expression was significantly suppressed (SMD = -4.31), reflecting a consistent reduction in cellular proliferation, while apoptosis was significantly elevated (SMD = 6.00), confirming pro-apoptotic activity across GI cancer models.
Silibinin significantly suppresses tumor growth and promotes apoptosis in preclinical GI cancer models while demonstrating encouraging preliminary tolerability. These findings support its potential as an adjunctive anticancer agent; however, further clinical studies are warranted to validate these results and enable more definitive conclusions regarding its therapeutic efficacy.

PMID:
42437897
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Jul 2026.

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