Effect of silymarin on curcumin-induced mortality in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae

In presence of 7.5 μM of curcumin, no embryos or larva of zebrafish survived 3 days of incubation; however, co-incubation with 144 μg/ml silymarin increased the survival rates of curcumin-treated embryos and larvae to about 70%. Moreover, in presence of 12.5 μM curcumin, all embryos died after 2 days of incubation; however, co-treatment with 144 μg/ml silymarin increased the survival rates of curcumin-treated embryos and larvae up to 60 and 50%, respectively. This protective effect was not found in the other phenolic compounds viz., ferulic acid, naringin, or crocin, tested. Finally, using a fluorescence microscope, accumulation of less curcumin has observed in the edema sac area of the larvae co-treated with curcumin and silymarin than in the larvae treated with curcumin only. The result suggests that the protective effects of silymarin may be due to a decreased accumulation of curcumin in the fish body.