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A new mechanism of PLA-MPs inducing fatty liver formation in carp
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Scientists found that "biodegradable" microplastics (made from a plant-based plastic called PLA) can still harm fish livers, triggering oxidative stress and a type of cell damage called ferroptosis that leads to fatty liver disease. This matters because carp are a common food fish, and if microplastics are damaging their livers, it raises questions about the safety of seafood and suggests that even plastics marketed as eco-friendly may not be harmless to animals, or potentially to us.
Abstract Plastics are indispensable materials in modern industry and daily life, but they are difficult to degrade and generate microplactics (MPs). Polylactic acid microplastics (PLA-MPs) is a highly promising type of biodegradable MPs, but it also poses environmental pollution issues. As a central organ for detoxification, the liver is also an important target organ for MPs exposure. However, the effects of PLA-MPs on the liver health of animal-derived food species such as common carp ( Cyprinus carpio L.) and the underlying molecular mechanisms of PLA-MPs remain unclear. To investigate the hepatotoxic mechanisms in carp, we established a PLA-MPs exposure model. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 4276 up-regulated and 4073 down-regulated genes. Ferroptosis and lysosomes are two Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways both enriched for differentially expressed genes. Exposure to PLA-MPs led to excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species, Fe 2+ , and lipid peroxidation, induced lysosomal homeostasis imbalance and triggered features characteristic of ferroptosis in carp liver, and led to the formation of fatty liver. Our results indicated that PLA-MPs contamination can impair hepatic health in carp, with lysosomal homeostasis imbalance plays a potential role in oxidative stress-mediated hepatic ferroptosis. This study provides scientific support for sustainable aquaculture, food safety and the "One Health" concept.
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Investigating the toxicity of polylactic acid microplastics on the health and physiology of freshwater fish, Cirrhinus mrigala
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Researchers fed freshwater fish polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, often considered a more eco-friendly plastic alternative, for 90 days at various concentrations. They found that PLA microplastics negatively affected the fish's growth, nutrient digestibility, blood chemistry, and caused tissue damage to the liver and intestines. The findings suggest that even biodegradable plastics can be harmful to aquatic organisms when ingested over time.
Unveiling the underlying mechanism: Metabolic reprogramming and oxidative stress mediate nanoplastic-induced hepatotoxicity in a freshwater fish (Pseudorasbora parva)
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Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) affect fish livers and found that the smallest particles (80 nanometers) caused the most damage by disrupting the body's ability to fight harmful chemicals and process energy. The smallest plastic particles were especially harmful because they damaged the fish's natural defense systems and changed how their cells make energy. While this study was done in fish, it raises concerns about how these tiny plastic particles in our environment might also harm human health.
A systematic review of biodegradable microplastics-induced toxicity in fish: Toxic effects, mechanisms, and ecological implications
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"Biodegradable" plastics sound eco-friendly, but this review of 27 studies shows they don't fully break down in water and can actually harm fish, damaging their gut, liver, brain, and reproductive systems, sometimes just as much or more than regular plastics, especially after the particles have aged in the environment. Since these tiny plastic fragments build up in fish that end up on our plates, this research is an early warning sign that swapping to "biodegradable" plastics may not be the safer fix we hoped for, more research on human exposure is still needed.
Microplastics accumulation in gut and revealing their impacts on nutritional quality and health of freshwater carp, Catla catla
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Researchers fed common carp (Catla catla) diets containing increasing concentrations of polylactic acid microplastics (PLA-MPs) — a type of biodegradable plastic — for 90 days, finding that at higher levels the fish experienced stunted growth, reduced nutrient absorption, altered blood cell counts, and intestinal tissue damage. The study demonstrates that even "biodegradable" microplastics can accumulate in fish and significantly harm their health.
Microplastics induce pathological liver tissue damage in Pearl gentian grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × E. lanceolatus♂) and disrupt their physiological and molecular responses
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Scientists fed microplastics to Pearl gentian grouper (a popular farmed fish) and found that the plastic particles caused real damage to their liver tissue and disrupted normal body functions at a cellular level. This matters because it shows microplastics can harm the seafood we eat, raising concerns about what happens further up the food chain, including in humans who consume fish regularly.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.