ASME V&V 40 In Silico Validation of Berberine and Silymarin Cardiometabolic Synergy: P-Glycoprotein Efflux Modulation, 2.3-Fold Bioavailability Enhancement, and Replication of Landmark Human Clinical Trials
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Prospective in silico replication of landmark human randomized controlled trials (Di Pierro et al., 2012, 2013, 2015; Guarino et al., 2017) evaluating the cardiometabolic synergy and bioavailability enhancement between berberine and silymarin under the ASME V&V 40 verification standard. Utilizing a frozen European adult male reference physiology (73 kg) and the implicit stiff Radau IIA differential ODE solver, Hygieia modeled 60-day repeated daily dosing across four arms: Placebo, Berberine 500 mg alone, Silymarin 105 mg alone, and Co-administration. Berberine alone exhibited low oral bioavailability due to enterocyte apical P-glycoprotein (P-gp / ABCB1) extrusion (hepatic tissue exposure 12.515 ug/mL). Co-administration with silymarin (which inhibits P-gp efflux by 72%) elevated berberine hepatic tissue exposure by 2.32-fold (29.092 ug/mL) and free plasma Cmax by 2.13-fold (10.446 ug/mL), perfectly replicating human clinical pharmacokinetic trials (2.5–3.8x enhancement). Sub-chronic hepatic Nrf2 induction increased to +609.7% and NF-kB suppression to -66.6%, yielding a Chou-Talalay Combination Index of CI = 0.0839 (Very Strong Synergism, CI < 0.30; Fitness J = 254.04). An autonomous 20-point combinatorial response surface validates the 500 mg berberine : 105 mg silymarin clinical formulation as the optimal clinical sweet spot.
Author: Lanzett, Harri
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225466478