Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Environmental microplastics exposure decreases antioxidant ability, perturbs gut microbial homeostasis and metabolism in chicken

Researchers studied the effects of microplastic exposure on chickens and found that it decreased growth performance and antioxidant capacity while causing damage to the intestine, liver, kidney, and spleen. The study also revealed significant changes in gut microbiota composition, including decreased diversity and shifts in taxonomic makeup, suggesting microplastics disrupt gut microbial homeostasis in poultry.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Microplastic Exposure Changes Gut Microbiota in Chickens

Researchers exposed chickens to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics and found that their growth performance decreased significantly. The gut microbiota composition was also altered, with changes in the abundance of several bacterial groups important for digestion and health. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in poultry environments could affect both animal welfare and the broader food production chain.

2023 Animals 20 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of polyethylene microplastics exposure on the, growth performance, reproductive performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota of quails

Researchers fed quails different levels of polyethylene microplastics and found that exposure harmed their growth, reproduction, and gut health. The microplastics reduced antioxidant defenses and disrupted the balance of beneficial bacteria in the birds' intestines. Since poultry is a major food source for people, microplastic contamination in farm animals raises concerns about indirect human exposure through the food chain.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Dose-effect of polystyrene microplastics on digestive toxicity in chickens (Gallus gallus): Multi-omics reveals critical role of gut-liver axis

Researchers fed chickens different doses of polystyrene microplastics and used multi-omics analysis to study digestive system damage through the gut-liver axis. They found that microplastics disrupted gut barrier function, altered liver metabolism, and changed gut bacterial communities in a dose-dependent manner. The study provides detailed molecular evidence of how microplastics can damage the digestive health of poultry, which may have implications for food safety.

2022 Journal of Advanced Research 140 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut dysbiosis: Nutritional causes and risk prevention in poultry, with reference to other animals

This review examines the causes and consequences of gut dysbiosis in poultry and other animals, identifying microplastics as one of several environmental pollutants that can disrupt gastrointestinal microbial communities. Researchers describe how reduced microbial diversity leads to inflammation, compromised gut barriers, and disorders affecting multiple organ systems. The study highlights that microplastics, along with heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants, contribute to the growing challenge of maintaining healthy gut microbiomes in animal populations.

2025 South African Journal of Animal Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on the chicken gut and liver: Based on transcriptomics and microbiomics

Researchers fed polystyrene nanoplastics to chickens for 21 days and found that the particles triggered inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut and liver, damaged the intestinal lining, and disrupted the gut microbiome — with some effects persisting even after exposure stopped. Because poultry is a major protein source for humans globally, these findings raise concerns about nanoplastic contamination in the food supply.

2026 Poultry Science
Article Tier 2

Harmful impacts of microplastic pollution on poultry and biodegradation techniques using microorganisms for consumer health protection: A review

This review examines how microplastic pollution affects poultry health and food safety, finding that microplastics have been detected in chicken meat from supermarkets and open markets. Evidence indicates that microplastics can damage vital organs in poultry, reduce egg production, and accumulate in edible tissues. The authors also review biodegradation techniques using microorganisms as a potential strategy for reducing microplastic contamination in the food supply.

2024 Poultry Science 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The ingestion of microplastics affects the diversity of the gut microbiome and testicular development in Japanese quail

This study examined how microplastic ingestion affects gut microbiome diversity and composition in an animal model, finding that microplastic exposure alters microbial community structure in ways that may impair digestive and immune function.

2024 Ecological Genetics and Genomics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics impair chicken growth through gut microbiota-induced hepatic fatty acid metabolism dysfunction

This study showed that polyethylene microplastics, especially those containing chemical additives called phthalates, significantly slowed chicken growth by disrupting liver fat metabolism and gut bacteria. The microplastics altered the balance of intestinal microbes, which in turn affected how the liver processed fats. Since chickens are a major human food source, these findings raise questions about how microplastic contamination in poultry feed could affect both animal welfare and food quality.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Exposure Alters Gut Microbiota and Correlates with Egg Quality Parameters in Chickens

Researchers exposed chickens to 100 nm nanoplastics through their diet for 120 days and found that the particles accumulated in intestinal tissues, causing structural damage including villus atrophy and goblet cell depletion. The study also revealed significant gut microbiota disruption and correlations with reduced egg quality parameters, suggesting nanoplastic exposure may affect both poultry health and productivity.

2025 Animals 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to known and emerging groundwater contaminants significantly alters poultry microbiome and metabolome

Researchers exposed broiler chickens to low-level mixtures of agricultural chemicals and microplastics via contaminated groundwater and found that gut microbial communities and metabolic pathways were significantly altered — including disrupted energy metabolism and cofactor availability — without observable intestinal damage, revealing a form of subclinical dysbiosis.

2026 Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics disrupted physical barriers, microbiota composition and immune responses in the cecum of developmental Japanese quails

Researchers fed Japanese quails environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics for five weeks and examined their gut health. They found that microplastics damaged the physical barriers of the cecum, disrupted the gut microbial community, and impaired immune responses. The study suggests that even low-level microplastic contamination in the environment could compromise gut health and immune function in birds.

2023 Journal of Environmental Sciences 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastics in typical poultry farms and the association of environment microplastics colonized-microbiota, waterfowl gut microbiota, and antibiotic resistance genes

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in poultry farm environments and in the intestines of farm-raised waterfowl for the first time. They found microplastics in soil, pond water, and bird guts, with the plastic surfaces hosting microbial communities that carried antibiotic resistance genes. This raises dual concerns: microplastics may both contaminate poultry meat that humans eat and help spread antibiotic-resistant bacteria through farming environments.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in poultry: Sources, bioaccumulation and human health consequences

This review examines how microplastics enter and accumulate in poultry through contaminated feed, water, litter, and farm equipment. Researchers found that ingested microplastics can accumulate in birds' gastrointestinal tracts, livers, kidneys, and muscle tissues, disrupting metabolic, immune, and reproductive functions and potentially impairing growth and meat quality. The study highlights that contaminated poultry products may serve as a route of microplastic transmission to human consumers.

2026 Poultry Science
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastic intake via poultry products: Environmental toxicity and human health

This review examines how microplastics enter the human diet through poultry products like chicken meat and eggs. Microplastics from contaminated feed, water, and farm environments accumulate in poultry tissues and are then passed to consumers. The study highlights that this food chain transfer represents an underappreciated pathway of human exposure, with potential risks including inflammation, gut disruption, and accumulation of toxic chemicals carried by the plastic particles.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 20 citations
Review Tier 2

The sources and impact of microplastic intake on livestock and poultry performance and meat products: a review

This review examined how microplastics affect livestock and poultry health, productivity, and the safety of meat products. Researchers found that while lab experiments show microplastics can cause oxidative stress and inflammation at high concentrations, it remains unclear whether typical environmental exposure levels affect animal welfare or productivity. Microplastics were detected in animal tissues at levels that raise potential consumer safety concerns, though current detection methods are prone to contamination.

2025 Animal Production Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to Polyethylene Fiber and Salmonella enterica Typhimurium Alters Microbiome and Metabolome of in vitro Chicken Cecal Mesocosms

An in vitro study using chicken cecal bacteria found that co-exposure to polyethylene microplastic fibers and Salmonella enterica Typhimurium altered the gut microbiome composition and metabolite profiles compared to either exposure alone, lowering the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio. The results suggest microplastics can modify how poultry gut bacteria interact with foodborne pathogens, with potential implications for food safety and human health through the food chain.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Animal Health and Nutrition

This review summarizes the current understanding of how microplastic ingestion affects animal health across multiple species including livestock, poultry, and aquatic organisms. Researchers found that microplastics can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of gut function in animals, with smaller particles posing greater risks due to their ability to cross biological barriers. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in feed and water sources is an emerging concern for animal agriculture and nutrition.

2024 Erciyes Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure induces muscle growth but reduces meat quality and muscle physiological function in chickens

Researchers found microplastic contamination in chicken muscle tissue from a commercial farm and showed that feeding chickens polystyrene microplastics caused the plastics to accumulate in their muscles over time. While the contaminated chickens grew larger muscles, their meat quality and muscle function decreased. This study is important because it demonstrates that microplastics can build up in poultry meat, meaning people may be consuming microplastics through chicken.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to polyethylene fiber and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium alters microbiome and metabolome of in vitro chicken cecal mesocosms

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastic fibers interact with Salmonella bacteria in the gut environment of chickens using an in vitro model. They found that co-exposure altered the microbial community composition and metabolic activity in ways that could favor pathogen survival. The findings raise concerns that microplastic contamination in poultry feed could potentially increase the risk of Salmonella infections in flocks and, ultimately, in the human food supply.

2024 Applied and Environmental Microbiology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-induced gut microbiota and serum metabolic disruption in Sprague-Dawley rats

Researchers exposed rats to a mixture of common microplastic types at concentrations reflecting real-world human exposure and found significant disruptions to gut bacteria and blood metabolites. The microplastic mixture altered the balance of beneficial and harmful gut microbes and changed metabolic pathways related to amino acids and lipids. The study suggests that everyday microplastic exposure from food and water may affect mammalian gut health and metabolism.

2023 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Lifetime exposure to known and emerging groundwater contaminants significantly alters poultry microbiome and metabolome

Broiler chickens were exposed to a mixture of nitrate, atrazine, imidacloprid, and microplastics at low and high doses reflecting Wisconsin groundwater contamination, and gut microbiome and metabolome were assessed. The chemical mixture significantly altered microbiome composition and metabolite profiles, with microplastics contributing to dysbiosis alongside conventional agricultural contaminants.

2025
Article Tier 2

First Report on Microplastics Quantification in Poultry Chicken and Potential Human Health Risks in Pakistan

Researchers in Pakistan found microplastics in the crops and gizzards of poultry chickens from eight different farms, identifying over 1,200 particles across 24 samples. Fibers were the most common type, likely coming from plastic feed bags and the farm environment. Since chicken is a major protein source, this study reveals another pathway through which microplastics may enter the human diet.

2023 Toxics 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Untargeted Metabolomics Uncovers Food Safety Risks: Polystyrene Nanoplastics Induce Metabolic Disorders in Chicken Liver

Researchers exposed chickens to polystyrene nanoplastics through feed for 120 days and used metabolomics to assess the impact on liver health. They found significant liver damage, including increased lipid accumulation and elevated liver enzyme levels, along with disruption of 193 metabolites primarily related to lipid and amino acid metabolism. The study raises food safety concerns, suggesting that nanoplastic contamination in poultry feed could affect the quality and safety of poultry products entering the food chain.

2025 Foods 1 citations