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Physicochemical adsorption and entrapment of polystyrene and poly(ethylene terephthalate) micro/nanoplastics by a food-associated Lactiplantibacillus pentosus strain isolated from Korean traditional soy sauce
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Researchers screened bacteria from Korean traditional soy sauce for binding to polystyrene and PET micro- and nanoplastics. Lactiplantibacillus pentosus GH14 bound the most, aided by a water-repelling cell surface, biofilm formation and a tendency to aggregate. All tests were done in the lab, and binding depended mainly on contact time and particle concentration.
ABSTRACT Micro/nanoplastics derived from food-contact materials are increasingly recognized as contaminants that can enter food systems and the gastrointestinal tract through dietary exposure. However, biologically compatible approaches for reducing particle bioaccessibility or promoting particle sequestration in food-associated environments remain limited. In this study, bacterial isolates recovered from Korean traditional soy sauce were screened for particle-associated biofilm formation and plastic-binding potential toward polystyrene (PS) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) micro/nanoplastics. Among the selected isolates, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus GH14 showed the strongest overall adsorption-related phenotype, together with high cell-surface hydrophobicity, robust biofilm formation, substantial exopolysaccharide production, and strong aggregation behavior. Adsorption by GH14 was influenced mainly by reaction time and particle concentration, whereas temperature had a comparatively smaller effect within the tested range. Microscopy showed that PS and PET particles were retained within dense bacterial aggregates, and FT-IR spectral shifts were consistent with the possible participation of bacterial surface functional groups commonly associated with proteins and polysaccharides in non-covalent interactions. These results are consistent with a putative physicochemical adsorption and entrapment model involving hydrophobic surface interactions, aggregation, and matrix-associated retention. Overall, this study identifies GH14 as a promising food-associated bacterial candidate for future evaluation of micro/nanoplastic sequestration under food- and gastrointestinal-relevant conditions.
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