An Overview on the Effects of Silibinin on Different MicroRNAs Expression in Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of about 60% of human genomes. Silibinin or mixture of silybin A and B is a flavonolignans that constitute 70-80% Silymarin which is considered to be its main effective ingredient. Silibinin revealed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by scavenging free radicals, improving antioxidant enzymatic activities, and suppressing NF-кβ activation. One of the recent discoveries about the functions of silibinin, is its ability to change different miRNAs expression, especially in cancer. For instance, silibinin decreases Bcl2 level by inhibiting miR-21 expression in breast cancer cells that leads to apoptosis. Silibinin elevates miR-203 expression in lung cancer cells that causes stimulation of E-cadherin. The component can differentiate mesenchymal phonotype to epithelial. Also, treatment of glioblastoma cancer cells with silibinin diminishes anti-apoptosis factor XIAP by upregulation of miR-7 that causes prevention of autophagia in these cells. Therefore, silibinin could induce apoptosis and differentiation and inhibit proliferation in different cancer cells via regulation of various miRNAs expression. In this review study we aimed to summarize the studies about the effects of silibinin on different miRNAs expression in various types of cancer cells to distinguish the exact mechanism of silibinin anti-cancer effects