Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics as Emerging Contaminants and Human Health: Exploring Functional Nutrition in Gastric–Colon–Brain Axis Cancer

This review explores how microplastics may increase cancer risk along the stomach-colon-brain pathway by triggering oxidative stress, inflammation, and disrupting cell signaling. The paper also highlights that certain plant-based nutrients and flavonoids may help protect cells from microplastic damage by activating the body's detoxification pathways, suggesting functional nutrition could be a strategy to reduce harm from plastic exposure.

2025 Toxics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastics and Human Health: Role of Food Nutrients Targeting Nfe2l2 Gene in Diabetes

This study explores how dietary polyphenolic compounds found in functional foods may counteract the harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure by activating the Nrf2 transcription factor, a master regulator of cellular antioxidant defenses. The research suggests that microplastic-induced deregulation of the Nfe2l2 gene encoding Nrf2 may worsen inflammatory conditions associated with metabolic disorders, and that specific food nutrients could help restore this protective pathway.

2026 Nutrients
Article Tier 2

Healthful Diet and Nutritional Food as a Preventive and Interventional Paradigm in the Face of Microplastic and Nanoplastic Crisis

This review examines dietary patterns and nutritional interventions as potential strategies to reduce health risks from microplastic and nanoplastic exposure, discussing how antioxidant-rich foods and specific nutrients may mitigate inflammation and oxidative stress triggered by MNP ingestion.

2025 Food Frontiers
Article Tier 2

Cerebral neurotoxicity of amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics in mice and the protective effects of functional food Camellia pollen

In a mouse study, amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics crossed the blood-brain barrier and accumulated in brain tissue, activating genes associated with Alzheimer's disease. The nanoplastics damaged the protective barrier around the brain, triggered harmful processes in neurons, and promoted the formation of a protein linked to brain degeneration. The research also found that Camellia pollen, a natural food product, could partially protect the brain from this nanoplastic-induced damage.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

From exposure to neurotoxicity induced by micro-nanoplastics with brain accumulation and cognitive decline

This review synthesizes evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can reach the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier or traveling along nerve pathways, accumulating in regions critical for memory and thinking. Animal studies show that chronic exposure leads to cognitive problems, behavioral changes, and brain changes resembling neurodegenerative diseases, driven by oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruption of the gut-brain connection. The findings raise concern that long-term human exposure to nanoplastics through food and air could contribute to cognitive decline and neurological disease.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastic toxicity in humans: Exposure pathways, cellular effects, and mitigation strategies

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics enter the body through food, air, and skin, then accumulate in organs where they trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and genetic damage. These effects have been linked to chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, immune dysfunction, and brain diseases, and the review highlights promising countermeasures including advanced filtration, bioremediation, and protective compounds like melatonin and probiotics.

2025 Toxicology Reports 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the impact of nano- and microplastics on neurodegenerative diseases and strategies to mitigate their damage

Researchers reviewed evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases by triggering brain inflammation, disrupting mitochondria (the cell's power source), and damaging the blood-brain barrier. The review also found that natural compounds like melatonin and probiotics show early promise in reducing some of these harmful effects.

2025 Environmental Medicine 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the Neurotoxic Burden of Micro- and Nanoplastics: From Multi-model Experimental Evidence to Therapeutic Innovation

This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics damage the brain and nervous system, covering evidence from cell studies, animal experiments, and clinical observations. Plastic particles can cross the blood-brain barrier, disrupt the gut-brain connection, cause oxidative stress, and trigger inflammation that leads to memory problems and cognitive decline. The review also discusses potential treatment strategies, making it a useful resource for understanding the brain health risks of plastic exposure.

2025 Molecular Neurobiology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano- and Microplastics in the Brain: An Emerging Threat to Neural Health

This review summarizes evidence that nano- and microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissue, where they trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and protein clumping linked to diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The findings suggest that plastic particles may also interfere with the brain's ability to heal from injury, though long-term human studies are still lacking.

2025 Nanomaterials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of micro- and nanoplastics on blood-brain barrier crossing and neurotoxicity: Current evidence and future perspectives

This review examines evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier, the protective shield around the brain, through multiple pathways including disrupting the barrier's tight junctions and being transported inside cells. Once in the brain, these particles may cause damage through oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disrupted iron metabolism, with effects worsened when plastics carry other pollutants like heavy metals.

2025 NeuroToxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the toxic effects of micro-nano-plastics on the human brain and their relationship with the onset of neurological diseases: A narrative review.

This review examined toxic effects of micro and nano-plastics (MNPs) on the human brain, linking MNP exposure to neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and progression toward neurodegenerative diseases. The authors synthesized evidence from cell studies, animal models, and emerging human data.

2025 Ageing research reviews
Article Tier 2

Elucidating the Neurotoxicopathological Impact of Micro and Nanoplastics: Mechanistic Insights Into Oxidative Stress-mediated Neurodegeneration and Implications for Public Health in a Plastic Pervasive Era

Researchers reviewed the growing evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to neurodegenerative diseases, identifying oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, DNA damage, and protein misfolding as key mechanisms of harm to the brain. The review highlights critical knowledge gaps — especially around chronic low-dose exposure — and calls for better detection tools and public health policies to address the emerging neurological threat from plastic pollution.

2025 Indian Journal of Health Care Medical & Pharmacy Practice
Article Tier 2

From the Environment to Molecular Interactions of Nanoplastics: Unraveling the Neurotoxic Impacts and the Implications in Neurodegenerative Processes

This review examines how nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and potentially contribute to brain damage and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Nanoplastics have been found in food, water, and air, and once they reach the brain they can trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, and protein misfolding. The review calls for more realistic lab studies and better detection methods to understand the true scope of nanoplastic effects on brain health.

2024 Applied Sciences 12 citations
Article Tier 2

The Role of Emerging Environmental Contaminants on Alzheimer’s Disease

This review examined the role of emerging environmental contaminants, including microplastics, in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease. The authors discussed mechanisms including oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and blood-brain barrier disruption as potential pathways linking environmental exposures to AD pathogenesis.

2025 IntechOpen eBooks
Article Tier 2

Alzheimer’s disease: the role of extrinsic factors in its development, an investigation of the environmental enigma

This review examines how environmental contaminants, including microplastics, may contribute to Alzheimer's disease risk. Along with air pollutants, toxic metals, and pesticides, plastics and microplastics are identified as potential risk factors that may promote brain inflammation and neurodegeneration. The review explores the molecular mechanisms behind these effects and suggests strategies to reduce the brain health impacts of environmental contaminants.

2023 Frontiers in Neurology 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Brain under siege: the role of micro and nanoplastics in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress

This review examines emerging evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in nervous tissue, potentially triggering neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Researchers summarized findings showing these particles may act as neurotoxicants that contribute to synaptic dysfunction and pathological changes in brain cells. The study highlights the need for further research into how chronic plastic particle exposure may affect central nervous system health over time.

2026 3 Biotech
Article Tier 2

Research progress in mechanisms of neurotoxicity induced by micro(nano)plastic exposure

This review summarizes the potential ways that micro- and nanoplastics may harm the nervous system, including through oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and interference with the gut-brain connection. Researchers found that these particles can accumulate in the nervous system through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, potentially contributing to cognitive and behavioral changes. The study also highlights promising protective agents, including curcumin and probiotics, that may help counteract some of these neurotoxic effects.

2025 All Life 3 citations
Review Tier 2

Cellular mechanisms of microplastic and nanoparticle exposure and its relationship with metabolic diseases: Literature review

This literature review examined how microplastic and nanoparticle exposure affects cellular mechanisms related to metabolic disease, finding evidence that these contaminants disrupt insulin signaling, alter lipid metabolism, and may contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome.

2025 Biological Environment and Pollution
Article Tier 2

Pathways, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Strategies of Neurotoxicity Induced by Micro- and Nanoplastics

This review examined the pathways by which micro- and nanoplastics reach the brain—via the gut-brain axis, respiratory tract, and circulatory system—and the mechanisms by which they induce neurotoxicity, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of neurotransmitter systems. The authors surveyed emerging therapeutic strategies, highlighting antioxidant supplementation and anti-inflammatory interventions as the most promising current approaches.

2025 Brain Sciences
Article Tier 2

Neurotoxic and Systemic Implications of Microplastics and Nanoparticles: A Path Towards Environmental and Biological Remediation

This review summarizes evidence that microplastics and nanoparticles accumulate in human tissues including brain, reproductive organs, and the cardiovascular system, causing oxidative stress, neurodegeneration, and systemic toxicity. It discusses the olfactory pathway as a route for MPs to bypass the blood-brain barrier and highlights potential remediation approaches including dietary strategies.

2025 Acta Scientific Medical Sciences
Article Tier 2

Neurotoxicities induced by micro/nanoplastics: A review focusing on the risks of neurological diseases

This review summarizes evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can reach the brain through the bloodstream and nerve pathways, where they trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell damage that may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. The particles are found in air, water, soil, and food, meaning humans are constantly exposed through breathing, eating, and skin contact, making brain effects a serious long-term concern.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics in the brain: Epigenetic perturbations in progression to neurodegenerative diseases.

This review examined how micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) accumulate in the brain and induce epigenetic changes—including DNA methylation and histone modification—that may drive the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. MNPs were found to disrupt neuronal homeostasis through multiple epigenetic mechanisms after crossing the blood-brain barrier.

2025 Neurotoxicology and teratology
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastics on neurodegenerative diseases and underlying molecular mechanisms: A narrative review

This review explores how microplastics that accumulate in the environment can reach the brain through inhalation or by crossing the blood-brain barrier. Researchers examined evidence suggesting that microplastics may contribute to the onset or acceleration of neurodegenerative conditions by triggering harmful responses in brain cells. The study calls for stronger environmental policies, better detection methods, and further research into potential therapeutic interventions.

2024 Environmental Disease 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Neurotoxicity of Micro- and Nanoplastics: A Comprehensive Review of Central Nervous System Impacts

This comprehensive review summarizes the evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to damage in the brain and nervous system. The plastics can harm neurons, disrupt the protective blood-brain barrier, trigger brain inflammation, and promote the clumping of proteins associated with diseases like Alzheimer's. The review highlights the gut-brain axis as a key pathway, meaning microplastics swallowed in food and water could affect brain health through the digestive system.

2025 Environment & Health 9 citations