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Probe Cytotoxic and Oxidative Stress Effects of Nanoplastics on Caco-2 Cells: Insights from Raman Spectroscopy and Machine Learning
Summary
Scientists exposed human gut cells to tiny plastic particles (like those found in our food and water) and found they can cause cell damage and stress that may lead to cell death. The good news: pretreating cells with resveratrol, an antioxidant found in foods like grapes and red wine, helped reduce some of this damage, suggesting diet might offer some protection against plastic exposure. This early-stage lab study also introduced a new way to detect plastic-related cell damage using light-based scanning technology paired with AI.
Nanoplastics and microplastics have become an increasing ecological and health concern due to their widespread presence in the environment and food chain. In this study, Caco-2 cells were used as an in vitro model of the human intestinal epithelium to investigate the cytotoxic effects of polystyrene nanoparticles and microparticles of varying sizes, concentrations, and surface modification. Oxidative stress and apoptosis were evaluated following particle exposure. Raman spectroscopy, combined with machine learning analysis, was employed to detect and characterize biochemical alterations in the cells. Several peak ratios were selected to cluster data depending on size. A correlation between apoptosis and both concentration and Raman score was established highlighting its potential as a non-invasive tool to monitor nanoparticle-induced cellular damage. Resveratrol pretreatment reduced some of these harmful effects of amine-modified nanoplastics, reducing reactive oxygen species generation. This study demonstrates the potential of combining Raman spectroscopy and machine learning to assess the cytotoxic effects of micro- and nanoplastics and identifies protective strategies such as antioxidant pretreatment.