الفهرس 
1. IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Liver is the largest solid organ/gland in the human body. It plays major several vital functions including bile production, absorbing and metabolizing bilirubin, supporting blood clots, metabolizing carbohydrates and fats, vitamin and mineral storage, helps metabolize proteins, filters the blood, immunological
function, helps metabolize proteins, production of albumin, and synthesis of angiotensinogen.
Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of five benzene rings, is widely present in the environment and in the smoked or grilled foodstuff.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) is an annual/biennial plant of the Asteraceae family, native of Mediterranean area and now growing and cultivated worldwide including Egypt. Its main component is silymarin, an antioxidant and anti-fibrosis, and silybin represents the main flavonoids in it, as it has therapeutic properties for high blood fats, diabetes, and obesity.
Both various studies on animals and humans indicate that silymarin could be a good candidate in the treatment of both metabolic syndrome and various liver diseases (stimulate hepatic regeneration, diuretic, hepatoprotective, choleretic), in addition to immunostimulating, and anti-inflammatory in general.
The present study aims to investigate the bioactive compounds content and biological activities of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) extract. Also, the potential effects of such extract on obesity and other related complications in a diet-induced obesity model in rats will be in the scope of this investigation.
Aim of the study
The present aims aimed to Biochemical and Molecular studies on the effect of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) on liver toxicity induced by Benzo[a]pyrene in rats.
Experimental design
Rats (n=36 rats) will house individually in wire cages in a room maintained at 25 ± 2 0C and kept under normal healthy conditions. All rats (36 rats) will feed on basal diet for one-week before starting the experiment for acclimatization. After one week period, the rats were divided into two main groups, the first group (group 1) (6 rats) still fed on basal diet and the second main group (30 rats) will inject by B(a)P for two weeks to induce liver impaired rats then fed Milk Thistle or silymarin for treatment study as follow:
• group (2): fed on standard diet only as a positive control
• group (3): B(a)P injection then feed on standard diet containing 200 SME mg/kg/day.
• group (4): B(a)P injection then feed on standard diet containing 400 SME mg/kg/day..
• group (5): B(a)P injection then feed on standard diet containing 600 SME mg/kg/day.
• group (6): B(a)P injection then feed on standard diet containing 800 SME mg/kg/day.
At the end of experimental (28 days) the following experiments were performed:
1. Biochemical evaluation of blood serum, the blood samples were collected after 12 hours fasting and serum was separated for determination of lipid profile serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), Liver function aspartate amino transaferase (AST), alanine amino transaferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphates (ALP). Reduced glutathione (GSH), Serum malonaldialdehyde (MDA) content was measured by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA).
2. Flow cytometry analysis of apoptosis and cell cycle Single cell suspensions of liver tissue was used for determination of apoptosis and cell cycle. The cell viability was determined by flow cytometry and apoptosis was measured by using the sub G1 peak staining with propidium Iodide. The average number of evaluated nuclei per specimen 20.000 and the number of nuclei scanned was 120 per second. DNA histogram derived from flow cytometry was obtained with a computer program according to Dean and Jett mathematical analysis. Data analysis was conducted using DNA analysis program .
3. At the same time, the organs: liver were removed, washed in saline solution, wiped by filter paper, weighted, and stored in formalin solution 10% for histopathololgical examinations.