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Co-Existing Nanoplastics Further Exacerbates the Effects of Triclosan on the Physiological Functions of Human Serum Albumin
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Scientists found that when nanoplastics and triclosan (an antimicrobial chemical) are present together, the nanoplastics make triclosan bind more strongly to human serum albumin, a key blood protein. This stronger binding disrupts the protein's normal enzyme function more than triclosan alone would. The findings are concerning because people are exposed to both nanoplastics and triclosan simultaneously, and their combined effect on blood proteins could be worse than either substance individually.
The potential health risks posed by the coexistence of nanoplastics (NPs) and triclosan (TCS) have garnered significant attention. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of NPs and TCS on key functional proteins at the molecular level remain poorly understood. This study reports the effect of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) on the binding of TCS to human serum albumin (HSA) using multispectral methods and molecular simulation systems. The experimental results show that TCS significantly inhibits HSA esterase activity, with exacerbating inhibition in the presence of PSNPs, which is attributed to the alteration of HSA conformation and microenvironment of the amino acid residues induced by PSNPs. Molecular docking and site marker competitive studies indicate that TCS predominantly binds to site I of subdomain Sudlow II and the presence of PSNPs does not affect the binding sites. Spectra analyses indicate that the quenching mechanism between TCS and HSA belongs to the static quenching type and the presence of PSNPs does not change the fluorescence quenching type. The HSA fluorescence quenching and the conformational alterations induced by TCS are further enhanced in the presence of PSNPs, indicating that PSNPs enhance the binding of TCS to HSA by making TCS more accessible to the binding sites. This study provides valuable information about the toxicity of PSNPs and TCS in case of co-exposure.
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Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics interact with the antimicrobial compound triclosan in simulated environmental and cellular conditions. They found that surface-functionalized microplastics adsorbed significantly more triclosan and released it under cellular conditions, with the combination producing greater toxicity to human intestinal cells than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of co-occurring organic pollutants.
Does triclosan adsorption on polystyrene nanoplastics modify the toxicity of single contaminants?
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Researchers investigated whether triclosan adsorption onto polystyrene nanoplastics modifies the toxicity of each contaminant individually, using a multi-tiered approach to assess how nanoplastic carrier effects alter the combined hazard of this common antimicrobial agent in aquatic environments.
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Researchers examined how the antibiotic clarithromycin binds to the surface of polystyrene nanoplastics and how this combination interacts with blood proteins. They found that the drug readily adsorbed onto the nanoplastic surface and that the drug-nanoplastic complex altered the structure and function of serum albumin more than either substance alone. The findings suggest that nanoplastics could amplify the biological effects of pharmaceutical pollutants by acting as carriers in the body.
Toxic effects of triclosan in aquatic organisms: A review focusing on single and combined exposure of environmental conditions and pollutants
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This review examines how triclosan, an antibacterial chemical found in many personal care products, harms aquatic organisms both on its own and in combination with other pollutants including microplastics. When triclosan and microplastics are present together in water, they can produce combined toxic effects that are worse than either alone. Since triclosan is widely used and microplastics are everywhere, their interaction in the environment is an important consideration for both ecosystem and human health.
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