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Microplastic Toxicity and Intestinal Homeostasis: Insights from Microbiome and Gut Barrier Dysfunction
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This review pulls together animal, lab, and human studies suggesting that microplastics we eat, drink, and breathe can disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in our gut, weaken the gut's protective lining, and trigger inflammation—effects that may ripple out to metabolism, hormones, and even brain function. While most of this evidence comes from animal and lab studies using higher doses than humans typically encounter, it's an early warning sign that everyday plastic exposure could quietly affect long-term gut health, and researchers say we need bigger, more consistent human studies to know how worried to be.
Global plastic production and inadequate waste management have led to widespread environmental contamination with microplastics (MPs), now detected in food, water, and air. Their small size, diverse polymer composition, and capacity to carry chemical additives and co-pollutants facilitate intestinal uptake and raise concerns about their potential impact on gut microbiota. This review synthesizes current evidence on how MPs influence gut microbial composition and function, gut barrier integrity, and associated inflammatory and metabolic pathways. We conducted a narrative review of in vivo animal studies, in vitro simulated gut systems, and human observational studies that assessed MP exposure, gut microbiota profiles, and downstream toxicological outcomes. MPs originate from primary and secondary sources and can act as vectors for metals and organic pollutants. Following ingestion, they may cross the intestinal barrier via endocytic and persorption routes, acquire a protein corona, and be recognized by immune cells, activating TLR/NF-κB, and MAPK pathways alongside oxidative stress. In these models, MP exposure induces dysbiosis, characterized by loss of beneficial SCFA-producing bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides) and expansion of pathobionts (e.g., Escherichia/Shigella, Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae), accompanied by altered bile acid metabolism. These microbiota and metabolic alterations are linked to increased gut permeability, intestinal inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and, in some studies, reproductive and neurobehavioral effects. Current evidence supports MPs as emerging modulators of gut microbial and intestinal homeostasis. However, heterogeneity across experimental models, reliance on high exposure doses, and lack of standardized MP characterization limit robust risk assessment. These limitations underscore the need for harmonized methodologies, longitudinal large-scale human studies, and the development of targeted mitigation strategies.
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The Gut Microbiome in Foodborne Microplastic Toxicity: Mechanistic Insights and Human Health Risk Assessment
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This review pulls together existing research on how microplastics we eat, tiny plastic particles found in food and water, may disrupt the trillions of bacteria living in our gut, weakening the gut's protective barrier and triggering inflammation and stress throughout the body. It also points out that plastics can act like tiny rafts, carrying other harmful chemicals into our system and making the damage worse. While scientists don't yet have the full picture, this matters because it suggests the microplastics in our daily diet could be quietly affecting digestive and overall health, making this an area worth watching closely.
Microplastics disrupt intestinal physiology: From microbiota composition to intestinal barrier integrity
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This review pulls together existing research on how the tiny plastic particles we swallow through food and water may mess with our gut health. The evidence suggests microplastics can shift our gut bacteria toward less beneficial types while reducing helpful bacteria that support digestion, and this may weaken the gut's protective lining—potentially allowing harmful substances to pass into the body more easily. While more research is needed to fully understand the risks, this adds to growing concerns about how everyday plastic exposure might affect our long-term health.
Microplastic: A potential threat to human and animal health by interfering with the intestinal barrier function and changing the intestinal microenvironment
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This review summarizes current research on how microplastics disrupt the gut environment in both animals and humans, focusing on damage to the intestinal barrier. Studies show that microplastic exposure can cause oxidative damage, inflammation, destruction of the gut lining, thinning of the protective mucus layer, and disruption of beneficial gut bacteria. While direct human evidence is still limited, the growing body of animal research suggests that microplastics could pose a meaningful threat to intestinal health.
Nano- and Microplastics and Gastrointestinal Toxicity
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Tiny plastic particles from packaging, water, and even the air we breathe are increasingly ending up in our bodies, and this review pulls together what scientists currently know about how that might affect our gut health. Early research suggests these particles could trigger inflammation, disrupt the healthy bacteria in our digestive system, and interfere with normal metabolism—but researchers stress that we still don't have enough solid data on real-world human exposure to know exactly how risky this is. The takeaway: microplastics in our gut are a legitimate health concern worth watching, but the science is still catching up to the scale of the problem.
Microplastic and Nanoplastic Exposures, Gut Microbiome Disruption, and Nutritional Health: A One Health Systematic Review of Human and Translational Evidence-Systematic Review
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This review pulls together current research on how tiny plastic particles from food, water, and packaging may disrupt our gut bacteria, potentially triggering inflammation and other health issues. The catch: most evidence so far comes from animal or lab studies, so while cutting plastic exposure seems wise, science can't yet recommend specific diets or treatments to counteract the effects. More human studies are needed before we know exactly what to do about it.
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