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Effects of microplastics on digestive enzymes in the marine isopod Idotea emarginata
Summary
Researchers studied how microplastics affect digestive enzymes in a marine isopod, finding that while feeding rates did not change significantly with microplastic addition, enzyme activities showed variable responses. The results suggest that microplastics may subtly alter digestive processes in marine invertebrates even without obvious effects on feeding behavior.
Careless use of plastic products leads to massive litter accumulations in natural environments. \nDue to the river runoff and gradual degradation of larger plastic pieces into micro-sized particles, \nmicroplastics enter to the marine environment. Recently it was demonstrated, that subtidal marine \nisopods Idotea emarginata, readily ingested and excreted microplastics, without clogging the digestive \nsystem. In the present study, we focused on physiological effects of food quality and microplastics, by \napplying different feeding treatments. Digestive enzymes and protein content in the midgut gland and \ngut were investigated. Feeding rates differed significantly between natural and artificial diets, but have \nnot changed when microplastics were added to diets. Enzyme activities showed high scatter and \ninconsistent results. Esterase activity was enhanced in the midgut gland and suppressed in the gut \ntissue, by microplastics in the agarose. Microplastics further suppressed lipase activity in the midgut \nof fresh algae fed isopods. Exopeptidase activity was suppressed and endopeptidase enhanced in the \nmidgut gland, due to microplastics in agarose. Microplastics increased protein content of the gut \ntissue. Our results indicate, that microplastics may differently affect digestive processes of marine \nisopods. Further research is needed to verify whether these alterations affect nutrient assimilation and \nnutritional health of the isopods.
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