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Microplastics alter digestive enzyme activities in the marine bivalve, Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Researchers incubated Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) with polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics and measured changes in digestive enzyme activity, finding significant reductions in amylase and protease activity, suggesting that microplastics impair nutrient digestion in filter-feeding bivalves.
Microplastics are eaten by many invertebrates, particularly filter-feeding organisms like mussels. Since microplastics can be retained in the digestive system for extended periods, there is ample opportunity for them to interact with the functions of digestive enzymes. This study determined how the polymer type, size and concentration of ingested spherical microplastics affects the activities of seven key digestive enzymes in the digestive gland of Mytilus galloprovincialis, a common marine mussel. Polymer type significantly affected the activities of carbohydrase enzymes: polystyrene reduced amylase and xylanase activities, and increased cellulase activity. High concentrations of microplastics (5 × 10 microplastics L) caused a 2.5-fold increase in total protease activity. The activities of laminarinase, lipases and lipolytic esterases were unaffected by the polymer type, size or concentration of microplastics. Microplastics-induced changes to digestive enzyme activities can affect mussels' ability to acquire energy from food and reduce their energy reserves.
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Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations and found significant reductions in filtration rate and signs of oxidative damage in the digestive gland. The study suggests that microplastics as small as 40-48 micrometers can disrupt antioxidant defenses in bivalves even at low concentrations, raising concerns about their impact on marine filter-feeders.
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