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Polystyrene microplastics exposure reduces meat quality and disturbs skeletal muscle angiogenesis via thrombospondin 1
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Piglets fed polystyrene microplastics at higher doses showed slower growth, reduced meat quality, and impaired blood vessel formation in their muscles. The microplastics disrupted a protein called thrombospondin 1 that is critical for healthy muscle development. This study is important for food safety because it shows microplastics can accumulate in livestock and degrade the quality of meat that people consume.
Microplastics (MPs) pose a significant threat to livestock health. Yet, the roles of polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) on meat quality and skeletal muscle development in pigs have not been fully determined. To investigate the effect of PS-MPs on skeletal muscle, piglets were given diets supplementation with 0 mg/kg (CON group), 75 mg/kg (75 mg/kg PS-MPs group), and 150 mg/kg PS-MPs (150 mg/kg PS-MPs group), respectively. The results indicated that the average daily gain (ADG) of piglets in the 150 mg/kg PS-MPs group was significantly lower than that in the CON group. No significant differences were observed in the final body weight and ADG between the CON group and the 75 mg/kg PS-MPs group. Piglets in the 150 mg/kg PS-MPs group exhibited decreased meat redness index and type I muscle fiber density. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the contents of meat flavor compounds carnosine, beta-alanine, palmitic acid, and niacinamide in muscle were lower in the 150 mg/kg PS-MPs group than in the CON group. Additionally, piglets subjected to 150 mg/kg PS-MPs exhibited impaired muscle angiogenesis. Further analysis indicated that PS-MPs exposure up-regulated thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) expression by inhibiting THBS1 mRNA and protein degradation, thereby disrupting skeletal muscle angiogenesis. These findings indicate that PS-MPs exposure adversely affects meat quality and hinders skeletal muscle angiogenesis in pigs, providing deeper insights into the detrimental effects of PS-MPs on meat quality and skeletal muscle development.
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Polystyrene microplastics exposure induces growth toxicity and disturbs skeletal muscle angiogenesis via THBS1
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Piglets fed diets containing polystyrene microplastics at 75 and 150 mg/kg for 30 days showed growth toxicity and impaired skeletal muscle angiogenesis. The study found that microplastic exposure disrupts vascular development in muscle tissue via the THBS1 signaling pathway.
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