Poor absorption can be a major challenge innutritional science, particularly for fat-soluble compounds that do notdissolve well in water. Even ingredients with strong research can havedifficulty reaching sufficient concentrations in the bloodstream, reducingtheir potential effectiveness. This issue is particularly relevant tosilymarin, a milk thistle extract widely used for liver support butcharacterized by poor bioavailability and limited absorption.

As liver and metabolic health gainincreasing attention, ingredients such as silymarin are likely to become morerelevant. However, addressing its known absorption challenges remainsessential. A new two-phase study shows that PL+ Silymarin significantlyimproves silybin absorption compared to silymarin alone.

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Trial Method, Doses and Results  

A multi-experiment study evaluated PL+Silymarin, an optimally formulated composition of krill oil phospholipids andmilk thistle extract, designed to enhance its absorption and bioavailability byimproving intestinal transport and cellular delivery.

This study used a two-step sequentialexperimental design to assess how PL+ affects silymarin bioavailability. Itmeasured intestinal transport, overall absorption, peak blood levels, anduptake kinetics using both in vitro and human clinical models.

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Phase 1: INVITRO (24-hour timeframe)

·     Intestinal absorption wastested using an in vitro model that simulates the human intestinal lining.

·     The study compared PL+Silymarin vs. standard silymarin (plus a control group).

·     Multiple formulations werecreated using different amounts of milk thistle extract (standardized to 80%silymarin).

·     All samples underwent simulatedgastrointestinal digestion to mimic real human digestion conditions.

·     After digestion, the sampleswere placed on intestinal cell models to test absorption.

·     Absorption was measured usingsilybin, the main active compound of silymarin.

Results:

·     Results showed that PL+Technology increased silybin transport across intestinal cells compared tostandard milk thistle in all formulations.

·     The effect was dose-dependent:higher extract levels led to greater silybin absorption in PL+ formulations.

Phase 2: HUMANCLINICAL TRIAL

·     A randomized, two-way crossoverwith 18 total subjects.

·     Dose: 1,140 mg Krill Oil &100 mg Milk Thistle Extract.

·     Participants fasted for atleast 10 hours overnight to reduce variability from food intake.

·     A baseline blood sample wastaken before dosing, and after dosing, blood samples were collected over 8hours at multiple times.

·     Participants stayed undercontrolled fasting conditions during the early absorption phase to keepconditions consistent.

Results:

·     Results were used to comparehow much and how quickly silybin was absorbed between the PL+ Silymarin groupversus the silymarin exclusive group.

·     The PL+ Silymarin group had approximatelya 15× increase in the blood than Silymarin alone.

·     The speed of absorption wasfaster with the PL+ Silymarin group.

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The Power of PL+ and Why it’s Importantfor Formulation

This two-phase study showed that PL+Silymarin significantly improved the absorption and bioavailability of silybincompared with silymarin alone. For brands looking to formulate with silymarin,this is crucial.

PL+ Silymarin enhances nutrient absorptionat the same dose, enabling faster delivery to target tissues while improvingformulation performance and systemic exposure, all supported by a clinicallyvalidated phospholipid delivery platform designed for poorly soluble compounds.

PL+ Silymarin stands apart from syntheticdelivery systems by harnessing the natural properties of krill oilphospholipids. This creates a healthier delivery platform that offersadvantages extending beyond enhanced absorption. By pairing the liver-supportingproperties of silymarin with the broad health benefits of krill oil (includingits own support for liver health), PL+ Silymarin delivers a comprehensiveapproach designed to promote liver health through multiple pathways.

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