We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Dietary components regulate the gastrointestinal fate of polystyrene nanoplastics through differential aggregation, mucus transport and Caco-2 cell interactions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers ran 200 nanometer polystyrene particles through simulated digestion together with ghee, casein or cellulose. Casein kept the particles dispersed, while ghee and cellulose made them aggregate. With cellulose, 18% of Caco-2 intestinal cells interacted with particles, against about 35% with casein or ghee. The work was done in the lab.
Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) behaviour in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is modulated by co-ingested food components, yet these effects remain poorly quantified. This study aimed to investigate how ghee, casein, and cellulose influence the transformation and cellular interactions of 200 nm polystyrene (PS) under simulated GI digestion. Changes in PS aggregation were evaluated in stomach and small intestinal digesta by the flow cytometer. The potential mucus penetration capacity of digested PS particles was further assessed through the spinning disk confocal microscopy, while mitochondrial activity and cellular interaction were examined using Caco-2 cells. The results showed that upon in vitro digestion, casein reduced PS aggregation, while cellulose and ghee promoted PS aggregation. The percentage of cells interacting with PS in cellulose, casein and ghee small intestinal digesta were 18.4% ± 3.1%, 36.0% ± 5.2% and 34.6% ± 7.8%, respectively. These results demonstrate that dietary composition influenced MP physicochemical evolution and downstream biological interactions.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.