Deciphering the influence of physicochemical and microbial parameters of the human digestive tract on orally-ingested microplastics using in vitro gut models

Microplastics: fate in the human digestive environment in vitro and study of the epithelium / microbiota / mucus dialogue

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Using lab-grown models of the human gut, scientists found that everyday microplastics from food and water can shift gut bacteria toward more harmful types in both adults and toddlers, and specifically reduce production of butyrate, a beneficial compound that keeps the gut lining healthy, in infants. While the microplastics didn't directly damage the intestinal barrier in this study, the disruption to beneficial gut bacteria matters because a healthy microbiome is crucial for digestion, immunity, and overall health, especially in young children whose gut systems are still developing.

Human Ingestion of Micro-/Nanoplastics: A Simplified In Vitro Digestion Protocol for Cytotoxicity and Risk Assessment

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Researchers developed a simplified in vitro digestion protocol to better simulate how micro- and nanoplastics are biotransformed during human digestion, enabling more realistic cytotoxicity testing and risk assessment of plastic ingestion compared to prior models.

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the human gut: from signals to standards

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Researchers outlined major methodological gaps in current studies on microplastic and nanoplastic exposure through the human gastrointestinal tract, proposing minimum standards for study design and reporting to move the field from preliminary signals toward causal evidence linking gut plastic exposure to specific health outcomes.

Microplastics in our diet: complementary in vitro gut and epithelium models to understand their fate in the human digestive tract.

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Researchers used complementary in vitro gut models to study how microplastics behave during human digestion, finding that digestive conditions alter microplastic surface properties and their interactions with gut cells. The work advances understanding of how ingested microplastics may affect the human digestive system.

Oligomer production and effects on gut microbiota of PLA and PBAT biodegradable microplastics in in vitro digestion model