Interesting news:

Milk Thistle for Hepatitis C
Many patients use alternative and complementary therapies to manage
hepatitis C and resulting liver fibrosis, but most such agents have not
been studied in Western clinical trials. Again in the May 2007 issue of
Gastroenterology, S.J. Polyak and colleagues reported data from a
laboratory study of the anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties of a
standardized milk thistle (Silybum marianum) silymarin extract known as
MK-001. They found that MK-001 inhibited expression of tumor necrosis
factor-alpha in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and inhibited
nuclear factor kappa B-dependent transcription in human hepatoma cells.
MK-001 also demonstrated both preventive and therapeutic effects against
HCV infection of cells. When combined with interferon alpha, MK-001
inhibited HCV replication more than interferon alone. The compounds
silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A, and isosilybin B produced the
strongest anti-HCV activity. These antiviral effects were found to be
independent of MK-001-induced cytotoxicity. The authors concluded that,
“The data indicate that silymarin exerts anti-inflammatory and antiviral
effects, and suggest that complementary and alternative medicine-based
approaches may assist in the management of patients with chronic
hepatitis C.”

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2007/HJR-4.11.html#3

Thomas