We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Polystyrene microplastics compromise intestinal health and reduce growth and slaughter performance of Chahua chicken No. 2
AI summary Read the abstract
Chickens of a native Chinese breed given polystyrene microplastics in drinking water showed reduced growth and weight at higher doses, along with damaged intestinal lining, increased inflammation markers, disrupted nutrient transport genes, and altered gut bacteria.
Microplastics are ubiquitous in livestock settings and raise increasing concern, yet studies on their effects on poultry intestinal health and gut microbiota, particularly in native Chinese breeds, are still scarce. Chahua chicken No. 2 were exposed to drinking water with 0, 0.05, 0.1, or 0.5 mg/d polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs). At 0.5 mg/d, PS-MPs significantly reduced body weight, average daily gain, and feed intake at 42 and 120 days, while increasing feed conversion ratio and decreasing carcass traits (semi-eviscerated yield, eviscerated yield, breast and thigh muscle weights) at 42 days ( p < 0.05). This dose also increased the microplastic-associated fluorescence signal in jejunum and ileum, reduced villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio, and deepened crypts. It downregulated genes associated with intestinal barrier integrity ( ZO-1 , Occludin , Claudin-1 ), upregulated inflammatory cytokines ( IL-6 , IL-8 , IL-1β , TNF-α , MIP-1β ), and suppressed genes involved in glucose ( SLC5A1 and SLC2A2 ), lipid ( SLC27A4 , APOA1 , APOB , MTTP , CD36 , FABP2 ), and amino acid ( SLC15A1 , SLC7A1 , SLC7A9 , SLC3A1 , SLC6A19 ) transport ( p < 0.05). 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed that 0.5 mg/d PS-MPs exposure induced intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in Chahua chicken No. 2, characterized by an increased abundance of norank_o_Clostridia_UCG_014, Mediterraneibacter, Olsenella , and Faecalitalea ( p < 0.05). Overall, these findings indicate that PS-MP exposure is associated with alterations in growth performance, intestinal morphology, barrier-related gene expression, inflammatory responses, nutrient transporter expression, and gut microbiota in Chahua chicken No. 2.
More Papers Like This
The impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on the chicken gut and liver: Based on transcriptomics and microbiomics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers fed polystyrene nanoplastics to chickens for 21 days and found that the particles triggered inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut and liver, damaged the intestinal lining, and disrupted the gut microbiome — with some effects persisting even after exposure stopped. Because poultry is a major protein source for humans globally, these findings raise concerns about nanoplastic contamination in the food supply.
Environmental microplastics exposure decreases antioxidant ability, perturbs gut microbial homeostasis and metabolism in chicken
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied the effects of microplastic exposure on chickens and found that it decreased growth performance and antioxidant capacity while causing damage to the intestine, liver, kidney, and spleen. The study also revealed significant changes in gut microbiota composition, including decreased diversity and shifts in taxonomic makeup, suggesting microplastics disrupt gut microbial homeostasis in poultry.
Polystyrene microplastics disrupted physical barriers, microbiota composition and immune responses in the cecum of developmental Japanese quails
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers fed Japanese quails environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for five weeks and examined their gut health. They found that microplastics damaged the physical barriers of the cecum, disrupted the gut microbial community, and impaired immune responses. The study suggests that even low-level microplastic contamination in the environment could compromise gut health and immune function in birds.
Polystyrene Nanoplastics Exposure Alters Gut Microbiota and Correlates with Egg Quality Parameters in Chickens
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed chickens to 100 nm nanoplastics through their diet for 120 days and found that the particles accumulated in intestinal tissues, causing structural damage including villus atrophy and goblet cell depletion. The study also revealed significant gut microbiota disruption and correlations with reduced egg quality parameters, suggesting nanoplastic exposure may affect both poultry health and productivity.
Polyethylene microplastics impair chicken growth through gut microbiota-induced hepatic fatty acid metabolism dysfunction
AI summary Read the abstract
This study showed that polyethylene microplastics, especially those containing chemical additives called phthalates, significantly slowed chicken growth by disrupting liver fat metabolism and gut bacteria. The microplastics altered the balance of intestinal microbes, which in turn affected how the liver processed fats. Since chickens are a major human food source, these findings raise questions about how microplastic contamination in poultry feed could affect both animal welfare and food quality.
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.