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The carrier effect of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in 4-methylimidazole and bovine serum albumin interactions
Summary
Researchers found that polyethylene terephthalate microplastics act as carriers for 4-methylimidazole, a food processing-derived pollutant, with the microplastic-adsorbed contaminant altering the structural conformation of bovine serum albumin more severely than the contaminant alone, suggesting a 'Trojan horse' enhancement of toxicity.
Microplastics, known for carrying environmental contaminants, have the potential to enhance the biological impact of organic pollutants through adsorption. This study examines the influence of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET MPs) on bovine serum albumin (BSA) both prior to and following the adsorption of 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), a pollutant derived from a food processing-derived pollutant. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm analysis indicate that the adsorption of 4-MEI by PET MPs is a spontaneous, endothermic multilayer adsorption process, following quasi second order kinetics and Freundlich isotherm model, controlled by both intra particle diffusion and membrane diffusion, and significantly influenced by environmental pH and salinity. BET analysis and desorption experiments further confirmed the role of the mesoporous structure of PET MPs in adsorption, and revealed that they can undergo the re-release of 4-MEI in simulated gastrointestinal fluid, indicating that PET MPs can serve as a mobile carrier and potential secondary release source for 4-MEI. Adsorbed PET MPs can be used as carriers for 4-MEI and desorbed in simulated biological fluids. Multispectral analysis results showed PET MPs and 4-MEI interactions increased the fluorescence quenching constant (K = 6.04 × 10 M) of BSA, increased binding affinity (K = 2.80 × 10 M), reduced binding distance (r = 4.08 nm), altered the interaction mode and induced significant structural perturbations in BSA. PET MPs and 4-MEI synergistically inhibit the esterase-like activity of BSA.