14.9.2015. MilkThistle

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MILKTHISTLE:ANUNDERUTILIZEDPLANTOFMANYUSES

WHATISMILKTHISTLE?

AlmightyAllahhasbestowedavarietyofflorawithamazingproperties.MilkThistle(SilybumMarianum)isanancientplantnativetoEuropeisanannualorbiennialherb,belongstofamilycomposite.ItgrowsabundantlyinPakistanasaweedwithwheatcropaswellasonunutilized,barrenground.ItspeakmaturityperiodisApriltoJuly.Thisplanthastremendouspotentialtobeexploited.MEDICINALUSESOFMILKTHISTLE

Theseeds,fruitandleavesofMilkThistlehavebeenusedsincetheRomantimesasalivertonic,excellentfoodforcattleandhorses.ThestandardizedextractSilymarinisusedinsupportivetherapyofliverdisorderlikestimulatesproteinsynthesisinhepaticcells,improvesdisturbedhepaticfunctions.Itcontainsmixtureofflavonoidswhichcontributegreatlytodietarysourcesofantioxidantsandtheirintakesdecreasedtheriskofcoronaryheartdiseasesandincreasesimmunitytoinfectiouscellsandinhibitthegrowthoftumors.NUTRITIONALCOMPOSITIONOFMILKTHISTLESEEDS

TheseedsofplanthavebeenevaluatedatNIFAforitsoil,protein,fiberandmineralcontents.TheproximatecompositionofMilkThistleseedspresentedasfollows:

Constituent Amount(%)

CrudeMoisture 4.48Protein 23.0Fat 26.65Ash 3.4Fiber 4.55Carbohydratecontents 37.72

MineralsandNutrients:Theroleoftraceelementsinhumannutritionanddiseasecannotbeoveremphasized.Eventhoughthemineralelementsformasmallportionoftotalcompositionofmostplantmaterialsandoftotalbodyweightandtheydonotcontributetoenergyvalueoffood,buttheyareofgreatphysiologicalimportanceparticularlyinbodymetabolism.TheresultsindicatesthattheseedsoftestplantcontainsMg2,225ppm,Ca778.5ppm,Cu108.3ppm,Fe74.3ppm,Zn69.4ppm,Pb44.3ppm,Ni35.5,Mn23.5ppm,Cr6.8ppmandtheCd3.2ppmshowedthelowestconcentration.ItcanbededucedthattheseedsofMilkThistleifconsumed,couldbeagoodsourceofminerals.PresencesofrichamountofcalciumandMagnesiumareaspecialfeature.

MilkThistleProtein:Thedefattedseedscontainanexcellentqualityandquantityofprotein,rangingfrom2024%.Thequalitativeanalysisofproteinhydrolyzaterevealedtenaminoacids.AmongtheseAsparticacid,Glutamicacid,Glycine,andcystinwerethemajoraminoacids.ThereforetheMilkThistlemealasbyproductafteritscrushforoilcouldbeusedasahighproteinanimalandpoultryfeed.Theuniquecompositionofaminoacidsandimportantnutritionalmineralsmakeitrichfeed.MILKTHISTLEOIL

TheseedsofMilkThistlecontain2639%fixedoil.FattyacidcompositionofmilkthistleoilincomparisontosunfloweroilispresentedinTable.Thecompositionoftheseedoilrevealedthatlinoleicacid(64.59%)andoleicacid(23.59%)arethepredominantfattyacids.Thelinoleicandoleicacidcontentsaresimilartothatinsunfloweroil.Milkthistleoilisfairlyhighinpolyunsaturatedfattyacidsparticularlyanessentialfattyacidi.e.,linoleicacid(Omega3),whichisbelievedtobehelpfulinloweringcholesterol,wheninducedinthediet.

FattyAcids

%ConcentrationMilkThistleoil

Sunfloweroil

14.9.2015. MilkThistle

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C160Palmitic

12.62 7.23

C180Stearic 5.9 2.55C181Oleic 23.59 23.25C182Linoleic 64.59 66.44

FOODUSESOFMILKTHISTLE

TheMilkThistleseedshaverecentlybeenusedinpreparationofbiscuits,cake,andpizza.Upto3%ofthewheatflourreplacedwithtestmaterial.Theresultingdoughwasmoreuniform,smootherandlesssticky.Thefinishedbakedproductshaveimprovednutritionalquality,crustcolor,texture,andsymmetryandstayedfreshlongerthancontrol

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