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Environmental concentrations of microplastic-induced gut microbiota and metabolite disruption in silkworm, Bombyx mori
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Exposing silkworms to environmentally realistic concentrations of microplastics disrupted their gut bacteria and altered metabolites involved in energy, fat metabolism, and immune function. Even low-level exposure caused significant shifts in microbial communities and metabolic pathways without killing the organisms. This research highlights how microplastics can cause hidden health effects by disrupting the gut microbiome, a concern that extends to humans who are also exposed through food and water.
Microplastics (MPs) existing extensively in various ecosystems can be ingested by marine organisms and enter the food chain, resulting the health risks from the presence of MPs in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In the present study, an ideal model for Lepidoptera, the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was exposed to environmental concentrations (0.125 μg, 0.25 μg or 0.5 μg/diet) of MPs for 5 days, and the global changes in gut microbes and metabolites were subsequently examined via 16S rDNA sequencing and GC‒MS-based metabolomics. The results showed that MPs exposure did not seriously threaten survival but may regulate signaling pathways involved in development and cocoon production. MPs exposure induced gut microbiota perturbation according to the indices of α-diversity and β-diversity, and the functional prediction of the altered microbiome and associated metabolites demonstrated the potential roles of the altered microbiome following MPs exposure in the metabolic and physiological states of silkworm. The metabolites markedly altered following MPs exposure may play vital biological roles in energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, xenobiotic detoxification and the immune system by directly or indirectly affecting the physiological state of silkworms. These findings contribute to assessing the health risks of MPs exposure in model insects and provide novel insight into the toxicity mechanism of MPs.
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Researchers fed silkworms environmentally realistic concentrations of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics throughout their larval development and found that exposed worms gained more weight due to altered fat metabolism. Multi-omics analysis revealed changes in lipid-related pathways and shifts in gut bacteria, particularly increases in Acinetobacter and Enterococcus. While studied in insects, these metabolic disruptions from low-level microplastic exposure could have broader implications for understanding how microplastics affect metabolism in other organisms.
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Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to silkworm larvae and found that exposure disrupted the midgut epithelial barrier and altered the gut microbiome, reducing beneficial bacteria while increasing opportunistic pathogens. This disruption was associated with significantly increased viral gene expression and replication of the baculovirus BmNPV. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion may increase susceptibility to viral infections by compromising gut barrier integrity.
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Researchers exposed rats to a mixture of common microplastic types at concentrations reflecting real-world human exposure and found significant disruptions to gut bacteria and blood metabolites. The microplastic mixture altered the balance of beneficial and harmful gut microbes and changed metabolic pathways related to amino acids and lipids. The study suggests that everyday microplastic exposure from food and water may affect mammalian gut health and metabolism.
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Microplastic exposure and obesity-related metabolic dysfunction: A proposed gut microbiota-metabolite framework.
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This review paper summarizes existing research on how microplastics eaten with food might affect gut bacteria, gut lining health, and body fat in animal studies and lab cell experiments. It suggests microplastics could disrupt gut microbes and cause inflammation linked to obesity-related problems, but notes gaps in long-term testing and uncertainty about applying findings across species.
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