Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) seed oil as a new source of edible oil

Vegetable oils play an important role in food preparation and food formulation and play a significant role in diet and health. Identification and cultivation of new oilseeds is an important step in the direction of supplying the required oil in the country. Milk thistle plant with the scientific name of Silybum marianum is a one-year or two-year herb that has many medical, medicinal and industrial uses since ancient times. Due to its biological characteristics, this plant requires very little fertilizer and is particularly resistant to dry conditions and weak soils, and it is compatible with the climate conditions of most regions of Iran. Milk thistle seed contains a significant percentage of oil (20-30%) with high nutritional value due to the presence of essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid (40-60%), oleic acid (20-32%) and antioxidant and bioactive compounds such as tocopherols, carotenoids and sterols. Therefore, the oil obtained from milk thistle seed can be considered as a new edible oil due to its long-term consumption in different societies and its bioactive compounds. In this review article, a brief look at milk thistle plant, oil percentage and its composition in different regions has been discussed. According to scientific reports and articles, the cultivation and development of this new and valuable oil seed with good economic value is recommended as a new source of edible oil.