Medicinal plants are considered the reservoir of diverse therapeutic agents and have been traditionally employed worldwide to heal various ailments for several decades. Silymarin is a plant-derived mixture of polyphenolic flavonoids originating from the fruits and akenes of Silybum marianum and contains three flavonolignans, silibinins (silybins), silychristin and silydianin, along with taxifolin. Silybins are the major constituents in silymarin with almost 70–80% abundance and are accountable for most of the observed therapeutic activity. Silymarin has also been acknowledged from the ancient period and is utilized in European and Asian systems of traditional medicine for treating various liver disorders. The contemporary literature reveals that silymarin is employed significantly as a neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-viral, anti-hypertensive, immunomodulator, anti-inflammatory, photoprotective and detoxification agent by targeting various cellular and molecular pathways, including MAPK, mTOR, β-catenin and Akt, different receptors and growth factors, as well as inhibiting numerous enzymes and the gene expression of several apoptotic proteins and inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, the current review aims to recapitulate and update the existing knowledge regarding the pharmacological potential of silymarin as evidenced by vast cellular, animal, and clinical studies, with a particular emphasis on its mechanisms of action.

Oral bioavailability is the major problem when a poorly water-soluble active agent is delivered via oral route. To overcome such problems, solid dispersion systems have been demonstrated in literature to enhance the dissolution property of poorly water-soluble drugs. In the present review, the important aspects to be considered during preparation of solid dispersion systems viz., properties of polymer and preparation techniques of solid dispersion which affect the dissolution rate are discussed. Formulation and evaluation techniques for solid dispersions have been described. The final section of article highlights the recent patents and studies related to solid dispersion systems.

In the present work, nanoemulsions were fabricated utilizing the high-energy emulsification method. The selection of the ratio of surfactant (tween 80)/co-surfactant (lauroglycol 90) mixtures (Smix) used for the preparation of nanoemulsion was done on the basis of the area occupied by Smix molecules at the interface. Amin at the interface gives the information about the molecules that adsorb at the oil–water interface pack together. The small value of Amin indicates that strong adsorption has taken place at the oil–water interface. Moreover, it indicates a close contact between oil and water too. Molecular orientations of surfactant molecules at this ratio are nearly perpendicular to the interface, providing a more close packing thereby producing a more stable nanoemulsion. A composition that contains different ratios of surfactant (tween 80)/co-surfactant (lauroglycol 90) mixtures (Smix) was prepared to achieve a small Amin value. Surface tension value was used to estimate the area per molecule and surface excess concentration. The value of Amin for Smix ratios 1:0, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 1:2, and 1:3 were found to be 0.83, 0.82, 0.70, 0.62, 0.54, 0.60, 0.86, and 0.87, respectively. Among these Smix ratios, ratio 4:1 was selected for preparing the nanoemulsion as it exhibited the low Amin required for optimum emulsification conditions. It can be inferred that the determination of Amin for Smix serves as an effective technique in the screening of Smix ratio for producing a stable nanoemulsion.