Cactus Botanics Launches Milk Thistle Line

Cactus Botanics (Shanghai) is now offering a line of standardized and customized milk thistle, an ingredient promoted for healthy liver structure and function. Ingredients are available in a range of concentrations, including those standardized for milk thistle’s flavonoid derivative silymarin (derived from the seed of the plant) and silymarin’s active constituent silybin.

“Today, most standardized milk thistle products sold in the United States are standardized to reflect 80% silymarin (silymarin 80% UV),” says Carol Cheow, the company’s general manager. “To ensure consistency throughout the herbal supplement market, Cactus Botanics offers the popular standardized concentration, plus other customized forms to meet the different demands of customers.”

Ingredients include B1603 silybin 70% HPLC, B1335 silybin types A and B 80% HPLC, and water-soluble B1220 silymarin 40% UV. Cheow also adds that the company has developed unique technology to control solvent residue such as ethanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, benzene, and toluene.

The company says that milk thistle’s health benefits-it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is largely promoted for liver, kidney, and gall bladder health-may also support healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels, brain health, and digestive function, according to research.