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Engineered Probiotics Mitigate Gut Barrier Dysfunction Induced by Nanoplastics
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Researchers engineered the probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 to produce an anti-inflammatory protein, TGF-beta, and gave it a coating to survive the digestive tract. In cell tests it reduced inflammation caused by PET nanoplastics. In animals infected with Salmonella alongside nano PET, it outperformed commercial antibiotics.
Micro- and nanoplastics, particularly those derived from food-contact materials like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), can damage gut barriers, making the gastrointestinal system more vulnerable to inflammation and infections. Here, a probiotic-based drug delivery system (EcNT@L) is devised to mitigate nanoplastics-induced gut barrier dysfunction by modulating gut immunity and microbiota. Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) is genetically engineered to produce transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and then modified with an Eudragit L100-55 coating. This engineered probiotic acts as an in vivo "drug factory", exerting anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory effects, with improved retention and bioavailability in the gastrointestinal tract. EcNT@L effectively protects Caco-2 cells from inflammation and infections induced by nano PET, primarily by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. Besides, EcNT@L demonstrates superior in vivo therapeutic efficacy in treating gastrointestinal infection caused by the combined presence of nano PET and Salmonella, outperforming commercial antibiotics due to its ability to modulate immune responses and gut microbiota. This study highlights the potential of probiotic-based drug delivery systems in addressing nanoplastics-induced gut dysfunctions, offering a promising strategy for mitigating the environmental impact of micro- and nanoplastics.
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Researchers engineered a gut bacterium to produce an enzyme that breaks down PET nanoparticles. In lab-grown human intestinal cells and in mice with colon inflammation induced by nanoplastics, cells and mice given the engineered strain took up less nanoPET, and the mice had less gut inflammation and a gut bacteria mix closer to that of unexposed mice.
A Hyaluronic Acid-Stabilized Zinc-Loaded Probiotic Mitigates Nanoplastic Toxicity across the Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis
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Researchers loaded a probiotic bacterium, E. coli Nissle 1917, with zinc and coated it in hyaluronic acid, then tested it in zebrafish chronically exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics. Compared with exposed fish given single components, fish given the full product had behavior, inflammation and redox measures, and gut bacteria, closer to those of unexposed fish.
Micro-nanoplastics inhibit extracellular polymeric substance and lactate synthesis via perturbing glucose metabolism of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus
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Researchers found that micro- and nanoplastics — especially nanoscale PET particles — impair the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus by disrupting central carbon metabolism, reducing its production of lactic acid and protective extracellular polysaccharides, raising concerns that microplastic ingestion could compromise the gut benefits of probiotic bacteria.
Polystyrene and polytetrafluoroethylene nanoplastics affect probiotic bacterial characteristics and penetrate their cellular membrane
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This study found that polystyrene and PTFE nanoplastics damage the membranes and viability of probiotic bacteria in ways that differ by particle surface chemistry and bacterial strain. Since gut microbiome stability depends on these beneficial bacteria, this research suggests that nanoplastic ingestion could undermine the health benefits of probiotics and more broadly disrupt the gut microbial community.
Probiotics in the Management of Microplastics-Induced Enteritis
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This review discusses probiotics in the context of gut inflammation linked to microplastics. It describes four proposed mechanisms, covering gut microbiota, the mucosal barrier, immune balance and the fate of the particles themselves. The authors say specific strains, dosing and long-term safety still need study.
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