Correlation network analysis indicated interactions between silymarin, its microbial catabolites and the gut microbiota (Fig. ). In particular, certain bacterial genera, including Lachnospiracae UCG-10, Lachnospiracae UCG-004, Ruminococaceae UCG-003, Erysipelotrichacae UCG-003 and Faecalibacterium, showed negative correlations with silybin A and isosilybin B, indicating their possible role in the degradation of these silymarin components. Notably, Faecalibacterium (p = 0.0022, q = 0.0175) and Erysipelotrichacae UCG-003 (p = 0.0306, q = 0.0869) were found in higher abundance in healthy young individuals (Fig. ), as revealed by independent t-test. Conversely, Oscillospira, Oscillibacter and Anaerotruncus were positively correlated with these silymarin components. Oscillibacter was found to be more abundant in healthy elder participants (p = 0.0358, q = 0.0869). This genus also showed a positive correlation with the presence of catabolite 399.105@10.4, high levels of which were typically found in the group of healthy elder individuals.