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Novel probiotics adsorbing and excreting microplastics in vivo show potential gut health benefits
Summary
Researchers screened 784 bacterial strains and identified two probiotic strains that can stick to microplastic particles in the gut and help remove them from the body. In mice, these probiotics increased microplastic excretion by 34% and reduced the amount of plastic remaining in the intestine by 67%. This is the first study to show that specific probiotics could help the body get rid of ingested microplastics and reduce gut inflammation caused by them.
Microplastics (MP) contamination in food and water poses significant health risks. While microbes that form biofilm show potential for removing MP from the environment, no methods currently exist to eliminate these non-degradable MP from the human body. In this study, we propose using probiotics to adsorb and remove ingested MP within the gut. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of 784 bacterial strains to assess their ability to adsorb 0.1 μm polystyrene particles using a high-throughput screening method. Among the tested strains, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei DT66 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DT88 exhibited optimal adsorption in vitro and were effective across various MP types. In an animal model, mice treated with these probiotics demonstrated a 34% increase in PS excretion rates and a 67% reduction in residual polystyrene (PS) particles within the intestine. Additionally, administration of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DT88 mitigated PS-induced intestinal inflammation. Together, our findings demonstrate a novel probiotic strategy for addressing MP-associated health risks, emphasizing the potential of strain-specific probiotics to remove MP from the gut environment.