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Microplastic exposure induces muscle growth but reduces meat quality and muscle physiological function in chickens
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Researchers found microplastic contamination in chicken muscle tissue from a commercial farm and showed that feeding chickens polystyrene microplastics caused the plastics to accumulate in their muscles over time. While the contaminated chickens grew larger muscles, their meat quality and muscle function decreased. This study is important because it demonstrates that microplastics can build up in poultry meat, meaning people may be consuming microplastics through chicken.
Microplastic (MP) pollution has become one of the global environmental concerns, but the contamination and effect of MP on chicken skeletal muscle are scarcely researched. Here, we found MP contamination in the chicken skeletal muscles, which were directly collected from a large-scale chicken farm. Using Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Agilent 8700 laser direct infrared imaging spectrometer, we found that polystyrene (PS) and polyamide are the significant type of MPs detected in chicken skeletal muscle. Constant PS-MP oral feeding for >21 days increases the content of MP deposited in chicken breast muscle, but the MP content in the leg muscle was gradually decreased. Surprisingly, the chicken's body and skeletal muscle weight was increased after constant PS-MP feeding. Physiological results showed that PS-MP exposure inhibited energy and lipid metabolism, induced oxidative stress, and potential for neurotoxicity in the skeletal muscle. Metabolomic analysis of the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled with the mass spectrometer results showed that PS-MP exposure changed the metabolomic profile and reduced meat quality. In vitro, experimental results showed that PS-MP exposure induced chicken primary myoblasts proliferation and apoptosis but decreased myoblasts differentiation. Transcriptome analysis of the skeletal muscle indicates that PS-MP exposure affects skeletal muscle function by regulating genes involved in neural function and muscle development. Considering that chicken is one of the most important meat foods in the world, this study will provide an essential reference for protecting meat food safety.
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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.
Microplastic Contamination in Commercial Poultry Feed and Edible Chicken Tissues: An Emerging Environmental Concer
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Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in commercial poultry feed and edible chicken tissues from farms near Rajshahi City, Bangladesh, finding microplastics in all samples tested. Feed samples contained an average of 18.7 microplastic particles per gram, while chicken meat averaged 0.95 particles per gram, with fibers being the dominant shape. The study raises concerns about the transfer of microplastics from feed to edible poultry tissues as a pathway for human dietary exposure.
Microplastics in poultry: Sources, bioaccumulation and human health consequences
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This review examines how microplastics enter and accumulate in poultry through contaminated feed, water, litter, and farm equipment. Researchers found that ingested microplastics can accumulate in birds' gastrointestinal tracts, livers, kidneys, and muscle tissues, disrupting metabolic, immune, and reproductive functions and potentially impairing growth and meat quality. The study highlights that contaminated poultry products may serve as a route of microplastic transmission to human consumers.
Environmental Microplastic Exposure Changes Gut Microbiota in Chickens
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Researchers exposed chickens to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics and found that their growth performance decreased significantly. The gut microbiota composition was also altered, with changes in the abundance of several bacterial groups important for digestion and health. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in poultry environments could affect both animal welfare and the broader food production chain.
Polystyrene microplastics compromise intestinal health and reduce growth and slaughter performance of Chahua chicken No. 2
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Chickens of a native Chinese breed given polystyrene microplastics in drinking water showed reduced growth and weight at higher doses, along with damaged intestinal lining, increased inflammation markers, disrupted nutrient transport genes, and altered gut bacteria.
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