Papers

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Article Tier 2

Supplementary file 1_Novel probiotics adsorbing and excreting microplastics in vivo show potential gut health benefits.pdf

This supplementary file accompanies a study showing novel probiotic strains can adsorb and excrete microplastics in vitro, providing additional experimental data on MP binding capacity and particle characterization across multiple plastic polymer types.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and probiotics: Mechanisms of interaction and their consequences for health

This review explores how microplastics interact with probiotics and what that means for gut health. Researchers summarized evidence showing that microplastics can disrupt the gut lining, alter the microbiome, and trigger inflammation, while certain probiotic strains may help counteract these effects by reducing oxidative stress and supporting the intestinal barrier. The study also discusses the emerging possibility of using engineered probiotics for environmental microplastic cleanup.

2025 AIMS Microbiology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The microplastic-crisis: Role of bacteria in fighting microplastic-effects in the digestive system

This review examines how microplastics affect the human digestive system and explores whether certain bacteria could help counteract the damage. Microplastics disrupt the gut by altering microbial communities, interfering with digestive enzymes, and damaging the protective mucus lining. The authors highlight the potential for probiotic bacteria to bind to microplastics, reduce inflammation, and help repair the gut environment, offering a possible protective strategy against microplastic-related digestive harm.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Probiotics as Modulators of Microplastic-induced Toxicity: A Systematic Review

This systematic review found that probiotics can reduce microplastic-induced toxicity in animal models by restoring gut microbiota balance, reducing oxidative stress, and modulating inflammatory responses. The findings suggest that probiotic supplementation may help mitigate the harmful effects of unavoidable microplastic exposure, though human clinical trials are still needed.

2025 Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins
Article Tier 2

Correction: Novel probiotics adsorbing and excreting microplastics in vivo show potential gut health benefits

This is a published correction notice for a previously published study on probiotics that adsorb and excrete microplastics in living organisms. The correction addresses issues in the original article, which explored the potential gut health benefits of probiotic strains that can bind to microplastic particles. The original research examined the capacity of certain probiotic bacteria to interact with microplastics within the digestive system.

2026 Frontiers in Microbiology
Article Tier 2

Lactic acid bacteria reduce polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics-induced toxicity through their bio-binding capacity and gut environment repair ability

Researchers found that lactic acid bacteria, the kind used in yogurt and fermented foods, can reduce the toxic effects of polystyrene micro and nanoplastics in mice. The bacteria worked by physically binding to the plastic particles and by repairing damage to the gut lining and restoring healthy gut bacteria populations. This suggests that probiotics could be a practical way to help protect the digestive system from the harmful effects of microplastic exposure through food and water.

2024 Environmental Pollution 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of the ability of native potential probiotic lactobacillus strains in nanoplastic bioremoval in an in-vitro Model

Researchers tested 88 native probiotic Lactobacillus strains for their ability to bind and remove polystyrene nanoplastics in laboratory conditions, finding that a cocktail of three strains achieved up to 77% removal. The most effective strain, L. plantarum RP13, showed strong nanoplastic adhesion confirmed by microscopy imaging. The study suggests that certain probiotic bacteria may have potential as a biological approach to reducing nanoplastic exposure in the gastrointestinal tract.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Lactobacillus plantarum reduces polystyrene microplastic induced toxicity via multiple pathways: A potentially effective and safe dietary strategy to counteract microplastic harm

Researchers found that Lactobacillus plantarum, a probiotic bacterium commonly found in fermented foods, can reduce the harmful effects of polystyrene microplastics in mice through multiple pathways. The bacteria worked by binding directly to plastic particles to help remove them from the body, reducing oxidative damage, repairing the intestinal barrier, and regulating bile acid metabolism. This suggests that certain probiotics could be a safe dietary strategy to help counteract some of the negative health effects of microplastic exposure.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A probiotic for preventing microplastic toxicity: Clostridium dalinum mitigates microplastic-induced damage via microbiota-metabolism-barrier interactions

Using metagenomics and metabolomics, this study found that the probiotic bacterium Clostridium dalinum reduced microplastic-induced gut damage in mice by modulating gut microbiota composition, metabolic pathways, and intestinal barrier integrity.

2025 Current Research in Food Science
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of microplastic by probiotic bifidobacterium

Researchers found that probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis can biodegrade microplastics, demonstrating a novel microbial approach to addressing plastic pollution using a gut-resident bacterium known for regulating intestinal microbiota.

2022 International Journal of Global Warming 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Perturbation of gut microbiota plays an important role in micro/nanoplastics-induced gut barrier dysfunction

Researchers investigated how micro- and nanoplastics disrupt gut barrier function in mice, finding that different surface chemistries caused varying levels of damage. The study suggests that these plastic particles harm the gut by altering the gut microbiome, which then leads to inflammation and weakening of the intestinal barrier that normally keeps harmful substances out of the body.

2021 Nanoscale 198 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient biosorption of nanoplastics by food-derived lactic acid bacterium

Researchers identified a food-derived lactic acid bacterium, Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, that efficiently binds and removes nanoplastics across a wide range of conditions including varying pH, temperature, and concentrations. In animal experiments, the strain significantly enhanced fecal excretion of nanoplastics, suggesting it could serve as a promising microbial approach for reducing nanoplastic burden in intestinal environments.

2026 Bioresource Technology
Systematic Review Tier 1

Impact of microplastics on the intestinal microbiota: A systematic review of preclinical evidence

Across 28 preclinical studies, microplastics triggered intestinal dysbiosis characterized by increased Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and decreased Bacteroidetes, while increasing gut permeability and elevating pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6.

2022 Life Sciences 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Microplastics in Digestion System: Effect on Surface Microstructures and Probiotics

Researchers investigated how the digestive system affects five common microplastic types and found that digestion altered the surface microstructures of the particles while also negatively impacting probiotic bacteria, suggesting potential health risks from ingested microplastics.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Association between microplastics exposure and gut microbiota and metabolites in older adults: A cross-sectional study

Researchers analyzed fecal samples from 45 older adults to assess the relationship between microplastic exposure and gut microbiota. They found an average of 70 microplastic particles per gram of feces, primarily PVC, butadiene rubber, and polyethylene, and observed that microplastic exposure was associated with changes in gut microbial diversity and metabolite levels. The study suggests that microplastics may influence gut health in older adults by altering bacterial community composition and metabolic pathways.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Probiotics an emerging therapeutic approach towards gut-brain-axis oriented chronic health issues induced by microplastics: A comprehensive review

This review examines how microplastics disrupt the gut-brain axis, the communication system between the digestive system and the brain, leading to chronic health problems like inflammation and neurological issues. The authors highlight probiotics as a promising treatment approach, since beneficial bacteria can help repair gut damage caused by microplastic exposure. The findings suggest that supporting gut health through probiotics may help counteract some of the harmful effects of microplastics on both digestion and brain function.

2024 Heliyon 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidized/unmodified-polyethylene microplastics neurotoxicity in mice: Perspective from microbiota-gut-brain axis

Mice exposed to both regular and environmentally weathered polyethylene microplastics developed brain and gut damage, including behavioral changes, weakened gut and blood-brain barriers, and inflammation -- with weathered microplastics causing even more harm. Importantly, treatment with a probiotic (Lactobacillus) and a prebiotic partially reversed these effects, suggesting that gut-friendly supplements might help protect against microplastic-related brain and intestinal damage.

2024 Environment International 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Probiotics improve polystyrene microplastics-induced male reproductive toxicity in mice by alleviating inflammatory response

Researchers found that giving mice probiotics (beneficial bacteria including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) helped protect against reproductive damage caused by polystyrene microplastics. The microplastics disrupted gut bacteria and triggered inflammation that traveled to the testes via the gut-testis connection, reducing sperm quality and testosterone levels. Probiotic treatment restored healthy gut bacteria and reduced the inflammatory response, suggesting that maintaining gut health could help counteract some reproductive harm from microplastic exposure.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut Check: Microbiota and Obesity in Mice Exposed to Polystyrene Microspheres

Researchers found that gut microbiota appeared to play a mediating role in the obesity outcomes observed in mice fed manufactured polystyrene microspheres, suggesting that microplastic-induced alterations to the gut microbiome may be a mechanism linking microplastic exposure to metabolic dysfunction and weight gain.

2024 Environmental Health Perspectives
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota, a key to understanding the knowledge gaps on micro-nanoplastics-related biological effects and biodegradation

This review explores how micro- and nanoplastics affect the community of microorganisms living in the gut, and how those same gut microbes might be able to break down plastic particles. Swallowed microplastics can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, potentially leading to various diseases. On the other hand, some gut bacteria can actually degrade plastics into smaller, less harmful molecules, opening a possible avenue for biological cleanup.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of polystyrene microplastic on the gut barrier, microbiota and metabolism of mice

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics for six weeks and found that the particles accumulated in the gut, reduced protective mucus secretion, and damaged the intestinal barrier. The microplastics also significantly altered the composition of gut bacteria, decreasing beneficial species and increasing harmful ones. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion could disrupt gut health in mammals by simultaneously impairing the physical barrier and reshaping the microbiome.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 986 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota and liver metabolomics reveal the potential mechanism of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG modulating the liver toxicity caused by polystyrene microplastics in mice

Researchers found that the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG helped protect mice from liver damage caused by polystyrene microplastic exposure. The probiotic worked by restoring healthy gut bacteria and normalizing liver metabolic pathways disrupted by the microplastics. The study suggests that supporting gut health through beneficial bacteria may help mitigate some of the toxic effects microplastics have on the liver.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZP-6 mitigates polystyrene nanoplastics-induced liver damage in colitis mice via the gut-liver axis

The probiotic strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZP-6 mitigated polystyrene nanoplastic-induced liver injury in an animal model through multiple mechanisms including toxin binding, barrier enhancement, and anti-inflammatory activity, suggesting probiotics as a potential strategy for reducing nanoplastic health impacts.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiology
Article Tier 2

Could probiotics protect against human toxicity caused by polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics?

This review examines whether probiotics could help protect against the harmful effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics in the body. Researchers found evidence that probiotic bacteria may counteract plastic-induced gut imbalances, reduce inflammation, and support intestinal barrier function. The study suggests that probiotics represent a promising area of research for mitigating some of the biological effects of microplastic exposure, though more human studies are needed.

2023 Frontiers in Nutrition 24 citations