Research appearing in the World Journal of Gastroenterology (Vol. 13, Issue 40; pp5299-5305) looked at a flavone found in milk thistle, called silibinin, and its effect on liver cancer. Flavones are biochemicals found in plants that have antioxidant and other biological activity. The study was performed on human liver cancer cells (in vitro—i.e. not in the body). It was found that the silibinin inhibited cell growth and hastened death of cancer cells in a dose dependant manner.