--artichoke is a member of the milk thistle family.artichoke grows to a height of about 2 m and produces a large, violetgreen flower head.the flower petals and fleshy flower bottoms are eaten as a vegetable throughout the world.

--the artichoke was used as a food and medicine by the ancient egyptians, greeks, and romans.in several countries, standardized herbal drugs of artichoke are manufactured and sold as prescription drugs for high cholesterol and digestive and liver disorders.

--artichoke leaf extract cynarin, an active chemical constituent in cynara, causes an increased bile flow. the majority of the cynarin found in artichoke is located in the pulp of the leaves, though dried leaves and stems of artichoke also contain cynarin.

--this diuretic vegetable is of nutritional value because of its exhibiting aid to digestion, strengthening of the liver function, gall bladder function, and raising of hdl/ldl ratio. this reduces cholesterol levels, which diminishes the risk for arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease. aqueous extracts from artichoke leaves have also shown to reduce cholesterol by inhibiting hmg-coa reductase and having a hypolipidemic influence, lowering blood cholesterol. artichoke contains the bioactive agents apigenin and luteolin.