Abstract

Background:
Silymarin has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and antimicrobial properties that are superior to those of traditional treatments. These properties will enhance the further use of this medicinal plant in the veterinary field.

Aim:
This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of silymarin against sheep bacterial pneumonia using clinical, biochemical, and metabolomics approaches.

Methods:
Fifty adult male Barki sheep were divided into two groups based on their health status. Group 1 included healthy sheep (n = 10); group 2 included sick sheep with clinical evidence of pneumonia (n = 40), which were further classified into four subgroups based on treatment protocols: subgroup 1 (SG1) received traditional treatment; subgroup 2 (SG2) received traditional treatment plus 280 mg of silymarin orally daily; subgroup 3 (SG3) received 280 mg of silymarin orally daily; and subgroup 4 (SG4) received 560 mg of silymarin orally daily. Efficacy-directed distinction between therapeutic groups was accomplished based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) generated serum metabolite profiles supported by partial least squares regression analysis (PLS).

Results:
The PLS score plot showed a clear discrimination between the healthy and pneumonic sheep groups that exhibited lower concentrations of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and glucose but significantly elevated liver enzyme, urea, creatinine, malondialdehyde (MDA), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Clinical evaluations demonstrated that oral administration of 560 mg of silymarin produced the most rapid clinical improvement. However, metabolomic profiling indicated that 280 mg silymarin (SG3) therapy provided the most favorable therapeutic outcome, as it was strongly associated with the upregulation of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glucose, and both total and HDL-cholesterol levels.

Conclusion:
Pneumonic sheep treated with silymarin (560 and 280 mg) exhibited greater clinical, metabolomic, and biochemical improvement than those treated with traditional treatment alone.

Key words: Silybum marianum; Clinical healing; Sheep; Pneumonia.