Study the Effects of Oral Administration of Silymarin in Preventing Consequences of Ethanol on Liver during Pregnancy

Background: Alcoholic mothers who consume ethanol give birth to infants with high percentage of hepatic diseases. Alcohol can cause cellular damage in different tissues, including liver. Finding a drug which is effective and efficient in reducing ethanol misuse consequences during pregnancy can assist the decrease of harmful effects of this habit. Objective: This research aims to study the effects of oral administration of silymarin in preventing consequences of ethanol on liver during pregnancy. Methods: 45 female rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, each including 15 ones. After the first day of pregnancy, the study was performed as follows. The first group was given distilled water. The second group received ethanol equivalent to 35% of the total required calorie. Furthermore, the third group received the same amount of ethanol plus 200 mg/kg silymarin. At day 21, biopsy of liver tissue of the born infants was carried out for light microscopy studies. Results: Findings of the present study indicate that, in the group which received ethanol, this extract can have a considerable effect on decreasing the hepatic cellular death as well as reducing hepatic hyperemia. Conclusion: Oral consumption of silymarin extract can reduce the damage and inflammation in liver tissue of infants born from alcoholic mothers.