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Flavonoids Mitigate Nanoplastic Stress in Ginkgo biloba
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This plant study found that nanoplastics caused growth problems, oxidative stress, and DNA damage in Ginkgo biloba and other plant species. The plants responded by producing more flavonoids (natural protective compounds) to fight the plastic-induced stress. While this is a plant study, it shows how nanoplastics can disrupt biological systems and highlights the broad environmental reach of plastic pollution.
Microplastics/nanoplastics are a top global environmental concern and have stimulated surging research into plant-nanoplastic interactions. Previous studies have examined the responses of plants to nanoplastic stress at various levels. Plant-specialized (secondary) metabolites play crucial roles in plant responses to environmental stress, whereas their roles in response to nanoplastic stress remain unknown. Here, we systematically examined the physiological and biochemical responses of Ginkgo biloba, a species with robust metabolite-driven defenses, to polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs). PSNPs negatively affected seedling growth and induced phytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and nuclear damage. Notably, PSNPs caused significant flavonoid accumulation, which enhances plant tolerance and detoxification against PSNP stress. To determine whether this finding is universal in plants, we subjected Arabidopsis, poplar, and tomato to PSNP stress and verified the common response of enhanced flavonoids across these species. To further confirm the role of flavonoids, we employed genetic transformation and staining techniques, validating the importance of flavonoids in mitigating excessive oxidative stress induced by NPs. Matrix analysis of transgenic plants with enhanced flavonoids further demonstrated altered downstream pathways, allocating more energy towards resilience against nanoplastic stress. Collectively, our results reveal the flavonoid multifaceted roles in enhancing plant resilience to nanoplastic stress, providing new knowledge about plant responses to nanoplastic contamination.
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Attenuative Effects of Ginkgetin Against Polystyrene Microplastics-Induced Renal Toxicity in Rats
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Researchers found that ginkgetin, a natural flavonoid, significantly reduced polystyrene microplastic-induced kidney damage in rats by restoring antioxidant enzyme activity and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation markers.
Pharmacotherapeutic potential of ginkgetin against polystyrene microplastics–instigated testicular toxicity in rats: A biochemical, spermatological, and histopathological assessment
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Forty-eight male rats were given polystyrene microplastics, ginkgetin, both or neither for 56 days. Microplastics lowered antioxidant enzyme activity in the testes and reduced sperm count, viability and motility. Rats that also received ginkgetin, a plant biflavonoid, showed less of this damage.
Trigonelline, a natural alkaloid, mitigates nanoplastic-induced neurotoxicity by restoring mitochondrial function and redox homeostasis in Drosophila melanogaster.
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Tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics), which are increasingly found in our food and water, can damage brain cells by harming their energy-producing structures and causing harmful stress inside cells. In this study using fruit flies, researchers found that trigonelline, a natural compound found in coffee and fenugreek, protected brain cells from this damage, improving movement, sleep patterns, and survival while restoring healthy brain chemistry. While this early-stage research was done in flies rather than humans, it points to a promising, food-derived compound that might one day help counter the neurological risks of plastic pollution exposure.
Micro- and Nanoplastics on Plant Functionalities
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Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics affect plant physiology and function — including germination, root growth, photosynthesis, and nutrient uptake — across a range of crop and wild plant species. Plant uptake of plastic particles is a key mechanism by which microplastic contamination moves from soil into the human food supply, making these effects central to understanding dietary exposure risks.
Polystyrene nanoplastics regulate flavonoid biosynthesis in Salvia plebeia through coordinated responses of plant physiology, rhizosphere microenvironment, and microbial communities
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Researchers exposed the medicinal plant Salvia plebeia to polystyrene nanoplastics in soil. High exposure reduced plant growth and photosynthesis, while moderate exposure increased flavonoid compounds and changed antioxidant activity and bacterial communities in the soil around the roots.
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