Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Fate of microplastics in human digestive in vitro environment and study of the dialogue between epithelium, microbiota and mucus

Researchers used an in vitro human digestive model to track the fate of microplastics through simulated gastrointestinal conditions, investigating how MPs interact with digestive physico-chemical parameters, the epithelium, gut microbiota, and mucus layer, with particular attention to the vulnerable infant population.

2022 theses.fr (ABES)
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Study on PCC-Chitosan’s Ability to Enhance Microplastic Excretion in Human Stools from Healthy Volunteers

In a crossover pilot study, 10 healthy volunteers consumed a standardised meal with or without a chitosan-based food supplement and had their stool tested for microplastics. The supplement significantly increased faecal MP excretion, suggesting chitosan may facilitate the physical removal of ingested microplastics from the gut.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics (MPs): Fate in in vitro human digestive environment and study of the dialogue between epithelium, microbiota and mucus

This study examined what happens to microplastics as they pass through the human digestive system in vitro, studying interactions between plastic particles, gut microbiota, and intestinal mucus. Understanding how the gut processes microplastics is a key step in evaluating their potential health effects.

2021 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Article Tier 2

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

Researchers screened 784 bacterial strains and identified two probiotic strains that can stick to microplastic particles in the gut and help remove them from the body. In mice, these probiotics increased microplastic excretion by 34% and reduced the amount of plastic remaining in the intestine by 67%. This is the first study to show that specific probiotics could help the body get rid of ingested microplastics and reduce gut inflammation caused by them.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Microbes in Microplastic Removal and Its Effect on Human Health

This review examines the role of microbes in microplastic removal from environmental matrices and food systems, covering both degradation pathways and the health implications of microplastic-microbiome interactions for humans and other organisms.

2025
Article Tier 2

PET Microplastics Affect Human Gut Microbiota Communities During Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion. First Evidence of Plausible Polymer Biodegradation During Human Digestion

Researchers simulated gastrointestinal digestion and found that PET microplastics altered human gut microbiota community composition, and provided first evidence of plausible partial polymer biodegradation during passage through the human digestive tract.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in our diet: complementary in vitro gut and epithelium models to understand their fate in the human digestive tract.

Researchers used complementary in vitro gut models to study how microplastics behave during human digestion, finding that digestive conditions alter microplastic surface properties and their interactions with gut cells. The work advances understanding of how ingested microplastics may affect the human digestive system.

2021 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on human gut microbiota: first evidences from in vitro gut models

Researchers investigated the impact of microplastics on human gut microbiota using in vitro gut models, providing early experimental evidence of how microplastic exposure may disrupt intestinal microbial communities. The study offers foundational data on microplastic-microbiome interactions that are difficult to study directly in humans.

2022 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
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
Article Tier 2

The role of human intestinal mucus in the prevention of microplastic uptake and cell damage

Researchers studied how the mucus lining of the human intestine acts as a barrier against microplastic particles of different sizes and surface coatings. The mucus layer significantly reduced microplastic uptake by cells and protected against toxicity and inflammation. This study suggests that a healthy intestinal mucus layer is an important natural defense against the harmful effects of swallowed microplastics.

2025 Biomaterials Science 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of excretion of different sizes of orally ingested microplastics in rats

Researchers developed a method to analyze microplastics in rat feces to evaluate how particle size affects excretion after oral ingestion, incorporating an enzymatic digestion step that achieved recovery rates above 80%. They found that smaller microplastics (30-50 µm) had significantly lower fecal excretion rates compared to larger particles (200 µm), suggesting size-dependent retention or translocation in the gut.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Fate and impact of microplastics in in vitro human digestive environment and dialogue between epithelium, gut microbiota and mucus

This study used laboratory models of the human digestive system to track what happens to microplastics as they pass through the gut, and how they interact with gut bacteria and the mucus lining. The findings provide insight into how microplastics may disrupt the gut environment and potentially affect human health.

2021 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Article Tier 2

Ingesting chitosan can promote excretion of microplastics

Researchers found that feeding rats chitosan (a natural fiber derived from shellfish shells) along with microplastics significantly sped up the excretion of the plastic particles from their bodies. The chitosan appeared to bind to the microplastics in the gut and help move them out more quickly through the digestive system. This is a promising finding because it suggests that a readily available dietary supplement could help reduce the amount of microplastics that accumulate in the body.

2025 Scientific Reports 5 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Systematic Review

This systematic review summarizes research on microplastics found in the human gastrointestinal tract. It highlights that microplastics are accumulating in our digestive systems through food and water, and calls for urgent research to understand how these particles may affect gut health and overall well-being.

2025 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Article Tier 2

Natural Compounds in the Modulation of the Intestinal Microbiota: Implications in Human Physiology and Pathology

This review examines how natural compounds including polyphenols, fatty acids, and fiber can modulate the gut microbiome and affect human health. While focused on nutrition and gut health rather than microplastics, the gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as a target of microplastic toxicity, making dietary protective factors relevant.

2020 IntechOpen eBooks 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A central role for fecal matter in the transport of microplastics: An updated analysis of new findings and persisting questions

This review examines the central role of fecal matter in transporting microplastics through ecosystems, analyzing how organisms ingest and excrete microplastics and the implications for environmental fate and human exposure monitoring.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 42 citations
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
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Considering the Importance of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products and Their Mechanisms of Action for Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders

This bibliometric analysis of over a thousand articles reviewed medicinal plants and natural products for treating gastrointestinal disorders, highlighting their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and gut-protective mechanisms. While not focused on microplastics, the gut-protective properties of certain natural compounds are relevant to understanding how to mitigate gastrointestinal damage from environmental contaminants.

2025 Military Medical Science Letters
Review Tier 2

Microplastic Removal in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) by Natural Coagulation: A Literature Review

This review examines how natural coagulants, substances derived from plants and other natural sources, can be used to remove microplastics during wastewater treatment. Natural coagulants are safer and cheaper than chemical alternatives, and show promise for capturing microplastic particles. Since wastewater treatment plants are a major source of microplastics entering waterways, better removal methods could reduce the amount of plastic pollution reaching the environment and eventually human food and water supplies.

2023 Toxics 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Various Microplastics in Human Stool

Researchers analyzed human stool samples and detected various types of microplastic particles, providing direct evidence that microplastics pass through the human digestive system. The study highlights that people are routinely ingesting microplastics through everyday food and drink consumption.

2019 Annals of Internal Medicine 1777 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced extraction of microplastics from terrestrial animal intestinal tissues via optimized fenton oxidation

Researchers developed and optimized a protocol for extracting microplastics from intestinal tissues of terrestrial animals, comparing enzymatic digestion and density separation approaches to maximize recovery efficiency and minimize tissue interference.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

[Effect of microand nanoplastics on the gastrointestinal mucosa and intestinal microbiome].

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics entering through the food chain affect the gastrointestinal tract, finding evidence of disruption to gut mucosal integrity and intestinal microbiome composition, with implications for digestive health and systemic immune function.

2023 PubMed 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastic on the Gastrointestinal Tract and Gut microbiome of Sprague Dawley Rats

Adult male rats were fed polyethylene microplastics mixed with standard food for 24 days to assess effects on gastrointestinal tissue histology and gut microbiome composition. Microplastic exposure caused histological changes in the gastrointestinal tract lining and altered gut microbial diversity, providing direct evidence that oral microplastic ingestion disrupts gut health in mammals.

2024 Maǧallaẗ ǧāmiʿaẗ al-Sulṭān Qābūs li-l-ʿulūm/Sultan Qaboos University journal for science
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