Thermochemical Transition in Low Molecular Weight Substances: The Example of the Silybin Flavonoid

Silybin is a complex organic molecule with high bioactivity, extracted from the plant Silybum. As a pharmaceutical substance, silybin’s bioactivity has drawn considerable attention, while its other properties, e.g., thermodynamic properties and thermal stability, have been less studied. Silybin has...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-09, Vol.27 (19), p.6345
Main Authors: Tsioptsias, Costas, Spartali, Christina, Marras, Sotirios I, Ntampou, Xanthi, Tsivintzelis, Ioannis, Panayiotou, Costas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acids
Analysis
Antioxidants
Bioavailability
Biological activity
Calorimetry
Chemical bonds
Decomposition
Differential scanning calorimetry
Flavonoids
Heat
Heat of fusion
Hydrogen bonding
Infrared spectroscopy
Low molecular weights
Macromolecules
melting
Melting points
Milk thistle
Molecular dynamics
Molecular weight
Organic chemistry
Pharmaceuticals
Phase transitions
Plant extracts
Potassium
Properties
silybin
simultaneous
Temperature
Thermal stability
thermochemical transition
Thermogravimetry
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Summary:Silybin is a complex organic molecule with high bioactivity, extracted from the plant Silybum. As a pharmaceutical substance, silybin’s bioactivity has drawn considerable attention, while its other properties, e.g., thermodynamic properties and thermal stability, have been less studied. Silybin has been reported to exhibit a melting point, and values for its heat of fusion have been provided. In this work, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry including derivative thermogravimetry, infrared spectroscopy, and microscopy were used to provide evidence that silybin exhibits a thermochemical transition, i.e., softening occurring simultaneously with decomposition. Data from the available literature in combination with critical discussion of the results in a general framework suggest that thermochemical transition is a broad effect exhibited by various forms of matter (small molecules, macromolecules, natural, synthetic, organic, inorganic). The increased formation of hydrogen bonding contributes to this behavior through a dual influence: (a) inhibition of melting and (b) facilitation of decomposition due to weakening of chemical bonds.
ISSN:1420-3049
1420-3049
DOI:10.3390/molecules27196345