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Impacts of Various Microplastic Pollutants on the Functional Quality and Phytochemical Profile of Mulberry (Morus alba L.) Leaves
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Microplastics in soil—even "biodegradable" ones—stunted mulberry plant growth while boosting antioxidant compounds like flavonoids in the leaves, and surprisingly, the biodegradable plastic caused more physical damage to roots and leaves than regular plastic. Since mulberry leaves are commonly used in teas and herbal supplements, this suggests that plastic pollution could alter the nutritional makeup of foods we consume, and that "eco-friendly" plastics aren't necessarily safer for crops during their breakdown process.
Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves are widely used as functional food and medicinal-food raw materials, yet the influence of soil microplastic contamination on their quality formation remains insufficiently understood. In this study, a 45-day pot experiment with 3–4 biological replicates was conducted to compare the effects of conventional polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) microplastics at graded soil application rates on mulberry seedling growth, tissue ultrastructure, antioxidant-related quality attributes, and metabolic profiles. PE and PBS suppressed mulberry height, stem diameter and biomass in a dose-dependent way (p < 0.05). At 400 mg/kg, PE reduced plant height, stem diameter and fresh biomass by 34.7%, 30.8% and 31.4%, while PBS caused larger declines of 45.5%, 39.8% and 42.5%; total dry biomass dropped maximally by 34.2% under PE and 46.8% under PBS. Both treatments triggered 31.8% compensatory root elongation potentially for nutrient capture, yet PBS induced more severe root pore blockage and leaf cuticle damage than PE across tested concentrations. MP exposure raised leaf total flavonoids and phenolics markedly. At 400 mg/kg, PE and PBS boosted flavonoids by 82.8% and 90.9%, phenolics by 90.1% and 100.8%. Meanwhile, 400 mg/kg PE and PBS increased DPPH activity by 65.9% and 73.5%, ABTS activity by 66.3% and 74.4% relative to the control. Non-targeted metabolomics demonstrated pronounced shifts in the leaf metabolic profiles, characterized by the accumulation of coumaric acid, quercetin, and rutin, while glutathione levels declined. KEGG analysis identified phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis as core responsive pathways; high PBS levels strongly disturbed lipid and stress metabolism. Overall, microplastic stress induced a trade-off between vegetative growth and antioxidant-oriented secondary metabolism in mulberry leaves. These findings suggest that biodegradable PBS residues can induce prominent physiological variations during the initial crop production stage, which highlights the need to closely track their temporal effects on functional raw materials.
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Effects of Microplastics on the Growth and Physiological Characteristics of Mulberry
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Researchers exposed mulberry trees to varying concentrations of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics in soil, finding that high concentrations (10% by weight) significantly reduced plant growth and damaged the photosynthetic system while triggering oxidative stress — a type of cellular damage from harmful reactive molecules. The findings show that even biodegradable plastics can harm economically important trees when they accumulate in soil at high levels.
Microplastic exposure reduces plant biomass and chlorophyll content with no detectable safety advantage for biodegradable polymers
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This review pooled data from 31 studies and found that microplastics, whether "regular" plastic or the biodegradable kind used in eco-friendly farm mulch films, both shrink plant growth by about 19% and reduce chlorophyll (the stuff plants need for photosynthesis) by a similar amount. The "biodegradable" plastics didn't turn out to be any safer for crops, meaning swapping to them may not actually protect our food supply from plastic pollution like many assume. Since these microplastics build up in soil where our food grows, this matters for anyone hoping that "biodegradable" labels guarantee a health
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"Biodegradable" plastics are often marketed as the eco-friendly choice, but this study found that when they break down into microplastics in soil, they actually harm plant growth and soil health more than regular plastics like polyethylene do, by disrupting the soil bacteria that plants depend on for nutrients. This matters because these microplastics could end up in the crops we eat, and it suggests that switching to "biodegradable" plastics isn't automatically a safer bet for our food supply without more research into how they actually break down in real farm soil.
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Researchers tested the effects of three types of microplastics at different concentrations on adzuki bean growth and found that all types caused some damage, with biodegradable polylactic acid having the strongest negative impact on plant biomass. Higher microplastic concentrations significantly reduced chlorophyll content and triggered antioxidant stress responses. The study suggests that even supposedly eco-friendly biodegradable plastics can harm crop plants when they accumulate in soil.
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"Eco-friendly" bioplastics used in farming (like biodegradable mulch films) may not be as harmless as marketed: this study found that basil plants grown in soil containing bioplastic residue grew smaller, had less chlorophyll and vitamin C, and showed signs of cell stress compared to plants grown in normal soil. While this research looked at plant health rather than direct human effects, it raises questions about whether bioplastics breaking down in farm soil could affect crop quality and nutrition, suggesting that switching from conventional plastics to bioplastics isn't automatically a health or environmental win without more testing.
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