OICC Press International Journal of Industrial Chemistry 2228-5547 17 1 2026 03 31 In Vitro Delivery of Silica Nanoparticle Encapsulated Silymarin for Pharmaceutical Application with High Efficiency and Low Toxicity 10.57647/ijic.2026.1701.06 EN Maryam Hasanzadeh Department of Chemical Engineering, Am.C., Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran Maryam Khavarpour Department of Chemical Engineering, Am.C., Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran Ali Akbar Moghadamnia Neuroscience Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran Maedeh Mohammadi Biotechnology Research Laboratory, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran Journal Article 2026 03 31 Silymarin is the natural bioactive component of milk thistle plant, Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn with several health effects and valuable therapeutic properties. As a hepatoprotective drug, its biological applications are restricted because of its poor solubility in aqueous environments. This paper presents a study to develop a Silymarin-loaded silica nanoparticle system with enhanced bioavailability and water solubility. Synthesized silica nanoparticles were characterized using XRF, FTIR, Zeta potential, SEM and AFM. They exhibit a quasi-spherical morphology and the average particle size was estimated to be approximately 55 nm. Release study of free and loaded Silymarin in PBS (pH 7.4) and citric acid buffer (pH 5.5) shows enable slow and controlled release of Silymarin. Furthermore, the cellular toxicity was assessed using the MTT method by studying the cell survival rates of MCF-7, Hep-G₂, and fibroblast cells. The results showed that Silymarin loaded on silica nanoparticles, compared to free silymarin, could more effectively reduce the activity and growth of Hep-G2 and MCF-7 cells even at lower concentrations of Silymarin.