الملخص
Silibinin is a kind of flavonoid extracted from the dried ripe fruit of Silybum marianum，a plant of compositae. It has a variety of pharmacological activities and can effectively prevent and treat diabetes and its complications. This paper reviews the research progress on the mechanism of silibinin in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications. It is found that silibinin can prevent and treat diabetes by up-regulating the expression of estrogen receptor-α，activating the duodenum-brain-liver axis pathway and stabilizing the protein structure. It can prevent and cure the nervous system diseases of diabetes by activating glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor/protein kinase A signal pathway and inhibiting the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. It can prevent and treat diabetic retinopathy by down-regulating the expression and activity of pro-inflammatory，pro-oxidative factors and histone deacetylase 6. It can prevent diabetic nephropathy by activating protein kinase B signal pathway and reducing the level of transforming growth factor-β1，and prevent and treat diabete’s obesity by inhibition of hepatobiliary transporter CD36 expression， and suppressing nuclear factor-κB pathway and its downstream expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines（tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β），etc.