Restoring Activity of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L.) on Serum Biochemical Parameters, Oxidative Status, Immunity, and Performance in Poultry and Other Animal Species, Poisoned by Mycotoxins: A Review

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced naturally by toxigenic fungi, which elicit a toxic response in humans and animals. The livestock sector is showing a greater focus on phytoextracts for their limiting and controlling the toxic effects of mycotoxins with safeguarding animals’ health and performance. Milk thistle and its bioactive compound silymarin are considered useful for this scope. This review underlines the efficacy of milk thistle to counteract mycotoxins toxicity on organs, biochemical and immunological functions, and performance in poisoned poultry and livestock. The use of milk thistle as a whole plant, seed, and its standardized silymarin extract in mycotoxicosis cases produce positive effects on the maintenance of the animals’ performance, restoring liver functionality due to its known hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects, reducing organ lesions caused by intoxication. The use of milk thistle in animal farming can be useful since the bioactive compounds, also if present in variable amounts, can help the animals to counteract the effects of mycotoxins. The use of silymarin, due to its cost, can be useful if it reported the specific bioactive compounds it contained. ABSTRACT: Grains are major farm animals’ diet ingredients, and one of the main concerns is when are mycotoxin (MyT) contaminated, compromising animals’ health, performance, and product safety. Among the natural phytocompounds that are being used to prevent MyT damage, silymarin (SIL), an extract from the seed of the milk thistle (MT) is a suitable candidate. This review aims to examine the scientific evidence concerning the anti-MyT toxicity effects of MT/SIL in poultry and livestock. In vitro and in vivo studies (n = 27) showed that MT whole plant, seed, or SIL-standardized extract had positive effects on animal health, performance, and restoring the hepatic activity, with a reduction of organ lesions caused by MyT. Furthermore, showed utility for combating MyT-immunodepression, improving intestinal health, and limiting the excretion of toxins residues in food of animal origin, although in some cases, MT/SIL supplementation does not produce appreciable effects. The use of MT in animal nutrition can be useful since the bioactive compounds, also if present in variable amounts, can help the animals to counteract the effects of MyT. The use of the phytoextract of SIL, due to its cost, can be useful if it reported the specific bioactive compounds, recognize for their pharmacological activities.