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Lactobacillus reduction drives oxidative gut-liver adverse effects of heterogeneous aggregates polylactic acid nanoplastics and silica nanoparticles
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When "biodegradable" plastic packaging gets exposed to heat (like when you microwave or hot-water-prepare powdered foods), it can break down into nanoplastics that team up with silica particles (common food additives) to form a more harmful combo than either one alone. In mice, this pairing damaged the liver and gut more severely by wiping out beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria, triggering oxidative stress. This suggests that how different food contaminants interact with each other—not just each one individually—matters for assessing real-world health risks from packaging materials.
Polylactic acid (PLA) plastics are increasingly used in food packaging as biodegradable substitute to petroleum-based plastics. However, the high temperatures used to reconstitute powdered foods, which often contain silica nanoparticles (SiNPs), readily induce PLA degradation, generating large amounts of PLA nanoplastics (PLA NPs). Due to the high affinity of PLA NPs to contaminants, this study investigated the interactions between PLA NPs and SiNPs, and their gut-liver adverse effects. Following the oral administration of PLA NPs and SiNPs to C57BL/6J male mice for 90 days, liver, colon, blood, and fecal samples were collected to assess liver damage, gut function and microbiota composition. The results showed that PLA NPs and SiNPs formed heterogeneous aggregates complexes (HAC), resulting in different hydrodynamic size and zeta potential. Compared with PLA NPs or SiNPs, HAC induced more severe hepatic and intestinal injuries and further disrupted gut microbial homeostasis. In the fecal microbiota transplantation and key bacteria supplementation experiments, liver oxidative stress induced by HAC was partly attributed to gut dysbiosis and the reduced abundance of Lactobacillus. In conclusion, HAC exhibited different physicochemical and toxicological properties than single contaminant, and oxidative stress is the key factor in gut-liver adverse effects. These findings uncover the potential interactions among contaminants and their combined adverse effects, and provided a new perspective for risk assessment process related to food contaminant exposure.
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Polylactic acid microplastics as metabolic disruptors: Linking gut dysbiosis to systemic toxicity by disrupting microbiota-host co-metabolism.
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This review pulls together existing research on tiny plastic particles from polylactic acid (PLA)—a "biodegradable" plastic used in things like food packaging and disposable cutlery—showing they can build up in the gut, damage its protective lining, and throw off the balance of gut bacteria. Scientists think this gut disruption may trigger inflammation and even affect the liver and body-wide metabolism, though this specific chain of events hasn't been directly proven yet for PLA particles. The takeaway: even "eco-friendly" plastics may carry hidden health risks, and more research is needed to understand exactly how they affect our
Synergistic Toxicity of Combined Exposure to Acrylamide and Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Gut–Liver Axis in Mice
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Researchers exposed mice to a combination of acrylamide, a common food processing byproduct, and polystyrene nanoplastics through drinking water and found that the combined exposure caused more severe gut and liver damage than either substance alone. The co-exposure disrupted gut barrier integrity, altered gut bacteria composition, and caused widespread metabolic changes. The study suggests that the interaction between nanoplastics and other food contaminants may amplify health risks beyond what each poses individually.
Synergistic toxicity of nanoplastics and Helicobacter pylori on digestive system in mice
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Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori on the digestive systems of mice. They found that co-exposure caused more severe damage to the stomach, colon, and liver than either stressor alone, including increased inflammation and disrupted gut barrier function. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination may worsen the health effects of common gut infections.
Bioplastics Toxicity Upon Ingestion: A Critical Review of Biotransformation and Gastrointestinal Effects
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Researchers reviewed how bioplastic-derived micro- and nanoplastics — particularly from polylactic acid — behave in the gastrointestinal tract, finding that simulated digestion causes fragmentation and protein corona formation, while in vivo mouse models show gut microbiota disruption, oxidative stress, and indirect hepatotoxicity via altered microbial metabolism.
Polylactic acid micro/nanoplastic-induced hepatotoxicity: Investigating food and air sources via multi-omics
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Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA) — a plastic marketed as biodegradable — caused liver damage in mice whether the particles were ingested through food or inhaled through air, disrupting gut and lung microbiomes along the way. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safe and suggest that micro- and nanoplastics from any source can pose a risk to liver health.
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