Protective effects of the flavonoid mixture, silymarin, on fetal rat brain and liver

We investigated the possibility that the flavonoid mixture, silymarin (SY), administered as the compound Silymarin-Phytosome(R) (PHYTO), could protect the fetus from maternally ingested EtOH. Seventy-six female rats were randomly assigned to one of seven groups: pair-fed control; chow fed control; EtOH; and four groups receiving EtOH and PHYTO in varying dosages. All groups except the chow-fed control were maintained on a liquid diet. On day 1 of pregnancy the dams began the treatment protocol. On day 21 of pregnancy the rats were sacrificed and the fetuses removed, Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) activity was determined for liver and brain tissue from both the fetuses and the dams. GGTP activity in the EtOH,silymarin treatment groups did nor differ significantly from that observed for the pair-fed control group. The observed GGTP activity levels for the EtOH-only group were significantly higher than those attained by the pair-fed control group. Although GGTP activity did not vary significantly with the quantity of PHYTO administered, as PHYTO dose was increased, GGTP activity decreased. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.