COMPARATIVE PHARMACOKINETICS OF SILIPIDE AND SILYMARIN IN RATS

The plasma level profile and the biliary excretion of silybin, the mai n flavanolignan component of silymarin, were evaluated in rats after s ingle equimolar oral doses (200 mg/kg, expressed as silybin equivalent s) of the silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex silipide (laboratory cod e IdB 1016) and of silymarin. Silybin was assayed by using a specific HPLC method which allowed also the determination of other flavanoligna ns present in the biological fluids after administration of silymarin (i.e. silydianin, silycristin and isosilybin).