Clinicobiochemical and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based serum metabolomics for determining the therapeutic efficacy of silymarin in pneumonic Barki sheep.

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 ( 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, and low-density lipoprotein 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 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.