Silymarin is the seed extract of SILYBUM MARIANUM herbal medicine widely used for liver and bilary abnormality in China and several European country. It protect liver from several toxicity including acetaminophen, alcohol and amanita mashrom poisoning. Silymarin is composed of several flavonoids with antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and increasing cellular glutathion level properties. Although several experimental and clinical investigation indicating its efficacy against liver and prostate cancer, cisplatin induced kidney toxicity, and type II diabetes, but further clinical study need for its clinical use. However no adverse effect is reported by its chronic use or its administration to children, or pregnancy and lactation women.

Aim and Background: Milk thistle (SILYBUM MARIANUM) is a medicinal Thorny Shrub of the Family of Compositae, Which Contain Silymarin. It is Useful for Liver Disease and Concer Prevention and Treatment. And it is Also Beneficinal for Lowering Blood Cholestrol. The Medicinal Importance of This Species Necessitates Studying in This Field.Materials and Methods: In this study, three species from Moghan, Fridonkenar and Noorabad Mamasani of the Family of Compositae were evaluated in terms of Karyotype SILYBUM MARIANUM. Karyotypic studying population of this species, Alfabromonaftalyn Was Used as a pre-treatment, chromium oxide and formaldehyde as a fixator, NaOH for hydrolyz and hematoxylin for coloring.Results: After microscopic studies, the statistical analysis and preparation of tables and the karyotype, it Was determined that All of the populations are diploid and have a basic chromosome number x = 17 and the Chromosomes Place in Metacentric and Submetacentric Distances. This Means That The Centromere Place in Chromasomes is Opproximately in Middle.Conclusion: According to the Shape of The Chromosome and the Centromere Place and TF% Parameter. It Can be Concluded that the SILYBUM MARIANUM is Aless Developed Plant With a Symmetric Karyotype. Also From the Developmental Point of View the Noorabad Mamasanis Population Was More Developed Than the Other Two Populations. And the Studied Populations Belong to One Species and the Transformation and Separation of Species Were not Observed.

This investigation was carried out on six populations of SILYBUM MARIANUM (L.) Gaertn. in Isfahan Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2009. Karyotype of mitotic cells in metaphase of root apical meristem was studied. The base number of chromosomes for all populations was x=17 and all populations were diploid. Based on Stebbins' two- way table, all populations were located in class 2B indicating the same evolutionary status. Analysis of variance showed significant differences for the length of the smallest chromosome, asymmetric index, and coefficient variation of centromic index (p<0.01), total chromosome length, sum of small arms, sum of long arms and the largest length of chromosome (p<0.05). Factor analysis introduced two factors that justified more than 94 percent of total variation. In the first factor, total chromosome length (TL) and sum of long arms (SLa) were identified as the most important factors while asymmetric index (AI) and coefficient variation of centromic index (CVci) in the second factor were highly effective. All populations were classified in four groups by cluster analysis. The least Euclidean distance was between Ahvaz and Sary populations and the highest Euclidean distance was observed between Ahvaz and Amol. Analysis of variance showed significant differences for all traits among groups. Populations of Ahavaz, Sary and Esfahan in the first group were superiour in terms of TL, SSa, SLa, LC and SC compared to other groups. Population of Amol in the second group showed the lowest SC, Cvci, and AI. Maximum CVci and AI were observed in population of Kordestan while TL, SSa, SLa and LC were the least in this population. Population distribution diagram was drawn based on the first and the second component values that would confirm the results of the cluster analysis.

Milk thistle (SILYBUM MARIANUM) is an annual range medicinal plant that wildly grows in some places of Iran. This research is the first ecological survey on milk thistle. The purpose is was to study ecological characteristics and phonologic stages of milk thistle. The climate of the area is wet. Annual average precipitation is 879.63 millimeters and annual average temperature is 16.29 centigrade. Results showed that the plant density and canopy cover in area was 30,000 plants per hectare and 33.2 % respectively. The mean length of root was 23 cm. The phonological studies showed that growth of roset leaves of milk thistle started from the end of September and continued till mid March. Stems appeared at the end of March, flowering took place from the end of April and the fruits ripped in mid May. On the basis of soil analysis, milk thistle prefers clay loam soils. Amounts of P, K, Ca, N, Organic matters, pH and EC were 4.25 ppm, 1584 ppm, 1.54 meq/lit, 0.16%, 4.26% and 0.1692 mMoh/cm respectively. Silymarin in the seed was 1.67%. Silybin in silymarin was 6.17%. Two different kinds of insect named: Oxythyrea cincletta and Epicormetis hirta poda observed on this plant.