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

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research Vol. 68; no. 22; pp. e2400500 - n/a
• Main Authors: Tomisova, Katerina, Jarosova, Veronika, Marsik, Petr, Bergo, Anna Mascellani, Cinek, Ondrej, Hlinakova, Lucie, Kloucek, Pavel, Janousek, Vaclav, Valentová, Kateřina, Havlik, Jaroslav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2024; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: acetates; Acetic acid; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Age groups; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; age‐related differences; butyrates; Catabolism; Child; Colon; Colon - drug effects; Colon - metabolism; Colon - microbiology; elderly; Erysipelotrichaceae; Fatty Acids, Volatile - metabolism; Feces; Feces - microbiology; Female; Fermentation; food research; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - physiology; glucose; Glucose metabolism; gut microbiota; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; In vitro methods and tests; Intestinal microflora; intestinal microorganisms; Liquid chromatography; Male; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metabolism; Metabolites; metabolome; microbiome; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Middle Aged; multi‐Omics analysis; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Nutrient deficiency; nutrition; Older people; Phenols; polyphenols; propionic acid; short chain fatty acids; Silybum marianum; Silymarin; Silymarin - pharmacology; silymarin metabolism; species diversity; Young Adult; silymarin metabolism; polyphenols; age‐related differences; multi‐Omics analysis; gut microbiota
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202400500

Scope This multi‐omic study investigates the bidirectional interactions between gut microbiota and silymarin metabolism, highlighting the differential effects across various age groups. Silymarin, the extract from Silybum marianum (milk thistle), is commonly used for its hepatoprotective effects. Methods and results An in vitro fermentation colon model was used with microbiota from 20 stool samples obtained from healthy donors divided into two age groups. A combination of three analytical advanced techniques, namely proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), next‐generation sequencing (NGS), and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) was used to determine silymarin microbial metabolites over 24 h, overall metabolome, and microbiota composition. Silymarin at a low diet‐relevant dose of 50 µg mL−1 significantly altered gut microbiota metabolism, reducing short‐chain fatty acid (acetate, butyrate, propionate) production, glucose utilization, and increasing alpha‐diversity. Notably, the study reveals age‐related differences in silymarin catabolism. Healthy elderly donors (70–80 years) exhibited a significant increase in a specific catabolite associated with Oscillibacter sp., whereas healthy young donors (12–45 years) showed a faster breakdown of silymarin components, particularly isosilybin B, which is associated with higher abundance of Faecalibacterium and Erysipelotrichaceae UCG‐003. Conclusion This study provides insights into microbiome functionality in metabolizing dietary flavonolignans, highlighting implications for age‐specific nutritional strategies, and advancing our understanding of dietary (poly)phenol metabolism. This study investigated gut microbiota and silymarin metabolism across age groups using an in vitro colon model. Silymarin at 50 µg mL−1 altered gut microbiota, reducing SCFAs production, glucose utilization, and increasing α‐diversity. Age differences were noted: elderly donors showed increased catabolite production linked to Oscillibacter sp., while young donors exhibit faster silymarin breakdown, associated with higher Faecalibacterium and Erysipelotrichaceae UCG‐003 abundance.