Mutual Interactions of Silymarin and Colon Microbiota in Healthy Young and Healthy Elder Subjects

This study investigates how the dietary supplement silymarin interacts with gut microbiota, with a focus on aging populations. Using advanced techniques such as next-generation sequencing, NMR and LC-MS, we analysed the dual impact of the gut microbiome on silymarin metabolism and the effect of silymarin on the microbiome’s structure and function. The research revealed that silymarin significantly alters the metabolism of the gut microbiota, decreasing short-chain fatty acid production (acetate, butyrate, propionate) and glucose utilization. Importantly, the study unveiled age-related differences in silymarin catabolism. Healthy elders (70–80 years) showed a significant increase in a specific catabolite associated with Oscillibacter. Conversely, healthy young donors (12–45 years) exhibited faster breakdown of silymarin components, particularly isosilybin B, which negatively correlated with higher abundance of Faecalibacterium and Erysipelotrochaceae UCG-003. This study thus provides important insights into the age-dependent modulation of microbiome functionality in the metabolism of dietary flavonolignans, which has important implications for developing age-specific nutritional strategies.