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Long-term exposure to food-contact microplastics disrupts gut microbiota and alters colon metabolites
Summary
Mice exposed long-term to four common plastics found in food packaging (PE, PP, PS, and PET) all showed signs of colon stress and shifts in their gut bacteria, even though they didn't develop obvious inflammation. Polystyrene, found in things like disposable cups and takeout containers, caused the most disruption, throwing off protein digestion and brain-signaling chemicals produced in the gut. While this study was done in mice, it suggests that the plastic touching our food daily could be quietly altering gut health in ways worth taking seriously.
Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as widespread contaminants, and the impact of long-term exposure to different types of MPs on colon damage is poorly explored. The effects of four food-contact MPs (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) on colon were investigated in a mouse model. The results indicated that the four MPs could reduce colon length and index, increased oxidative stress, but did not trigger inflammatory responses. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that α-diversity remained stable, but β-diversity analysis revealed significant microbial shifts. The potential mediators of the damage effects included Alistipes, Odoribacter, and Parabacteroides for PS; Litchfieldia for PP; Dubosiella, Turicibacter, and Muribaculum for PE; and Bifidobacterium for PET. Metabolomics revealed MP-specific metabolic disturbances, with PS causing the most severe perturbations by affecting protein digestion and neurotransmitter pathways, whereas PET exhibited minimal changes. These findings provided critical insights for risk assessment of food-contact MPs.