Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Intake of polyamide microplastics affects the behavior and metabolism of Drosophila

Researchers found that exposure to polyamide microplastics altered feeding behaviour, reduced triglyceride and protein levels, and disrupted metabolism in Drosophila, with effects differing between sexes and increasing in severity at higher microplastic concentrations.

2022 Chemosphere 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological Profile of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Microplastic in Ingested Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R+) and Its Adverse Effect on Behavior and Development

Researchers fed PET microplastics to fruit flies and found that the particles accumulated in their bodies and caused dose-dependent declines in movement, climbing ability, and survival rates. Higher microplastic concentrations also slowed the flies' development from larvae to adults. While fruit flies are a simple model organism, these behavioral and developmental effects suggest that chronic microplastic ingestion could impair neurological and physiological functions in animals exposed through their diet.

2023 Toxics 42 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of microplastics and nanoplastics upon history, policies, and Drosophila melanogaster

This study examined the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, finding that dietary exposure to these pervasive environmental contaminants causes measurable biological harm and making the case for stronger regulatory policies.

2023
Article Tier 2

Transgenerational effects on development following microplastic exposure in Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers fed Drosophila melanogaster flies plastic-supplemented food and found that while treated flies showed changes in fertility and sex ratio, their unexposed offspring had shorter larval development and reduced adult size, demonstrating transgenerational developmental effects from parental microplastic exposure.

2021 PeerJ 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of PET microplastics on the physiology of Drosophila

Researchers used Drosophila fruit flies as a model to study the physiological effects of PET microplastics, finding that ingestion affected reproduction, lifespan, and gut function. The study suggests that even common plastic types found in food packaging can have measurable biological effects when consumed by living organisms.

2021 Chemosphere 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Drosophila melanogaster as an indispensable model to decipher the mode of action of neurotoxic compounds

This review assessed Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism for studying the neurotoxic mechanisms of environmental contaminants, highlighting its genetic similarity to mammals and well-characterized neural architecture. The authors catalogued how different categories of neurotoxicants including pesticides, heavy metals, and plastic-associated chemicals affect Drosophila behavior and brain development.

2022 Biocell 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Drosophila melanogaster as a tractable eco-environmental model to unravel the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics

This review summarizes research using fruit flies as a model to study how micro- and nanoplastics harm living organisms. Studies show these tiny plastic particles cause oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and reproductive problems in flies, with males being more vulnerable than females -- findings that may help us understand similar risks in humans.

2024 Environment International 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Drosophila melanogaster as sentinel organism for hazard identification of environmental contaminants

This review highlights how the common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is being used as a model organism to study the toxic effects of environmental pollutants, including microplastics, nanomaterials, and heavy metals. Researchers found that fruit flies offer genetic tools and measurable endpoints like survival, reproduction, and behavior that make them valuable for identifying hazards and discovering biomarkers. The study underscores the fruit fly's growing role in advancing our understanding of how environmental contaminants affect living organisms.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

No evidence for behavioral or physiological effects of nanoplastics ingestion in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers exposed Drosophila melanogaster to low and high concentrations of nanoplastics (1 µg/g and 1 mg/g) across several generations and measured emergence rate, mitochondrial activity, metabolism, body mass, and locomotion. No significant behavioral or physiological effects were detected, suggesting Drosophila may be less sensitive to nanoplastics than aquatic species.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect locomotion and daily activity ofDrosophila melanogaster

Uptake and effects of polystyrene micro- and nanospheres on Drosophila melanogaster were studied, finding that both sizes of plastic particles affected locomotion and daily activity patterns. The results suggest that microplastic and nanoplastic ingestion can disrupt behavioral functions in the fruit fly model.

2021 Environmental Science Nano 57 citations
Article Tier 2

A mini review on exposure of microplastic to Drosophila melanogaster causing sex-specific, transgenerational, locomotory, physiological and developmental effect

This mini-review synthesized studies on how polystyrene and PET microplastics affect Drosophila melanogaster across multiple biological levels including sex-specific responses, physiology, behavior, development, and transgenerational effects. Male Drosophila showed greater sensitivity to microplastics with higher mortality, and effects were both concentration- and size-dependent.

2024 Journal of Entomological Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Behavioral toxicological tracking analysis of Drosophila larvae exposed to polystyrene microplastics based on machine learning

Researchers used machine learning-based behavioral tracking to analyze how polystyrene microplastics affect Drosophila fruit fly larvae locomotion and behavior. They found measurable changes in larval movement patterns after microplastic exposure, using kinematic analysis methods. The study demonstrates that automated behavioral analysis can serve as a sensitive tool for detecting the subtle toxic effects of microplastic exposure in model organisms.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure of polystyrene microplastics induces oxidative stress and physiological defects in Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study the effects of polystyrene microplastics and found that dietary exposure caused significant oxidative stress at both tested concentrations. The microplastics impaired climbing ability in adult flies and disrupted normal development patterns during the pupal stage. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can trigger oxidative damage and physiological defects even in relatively simple organisms.

2024 Asian Journal of Basic Science & Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics affect behavioural, oxidative stress, and molecular responses in the Drosophila model

Fruit flies exposed to polyethylene microplastics showed reduced climbing and crawling ability, increased oxidative stress, and activation of genes involved in cell death and stress responses. The microplastics overwhelmed the flies' antioxidant defenses and triggered the same cellular damage pathways associated with disease in mammals. Since fruit flies share many biological pathways with humans, these findings suggest that microplastic exposure could cause similar oxidative damage and stress responses in human cells.

2024 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene microplastics affect the physiology in Drosophila model

Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics negatively affected the physiology of Drosophila fruit flies, complementing earlier work on polyethylene terephthalate microplastics and demonstrating that different polymer types can impair organism health.

2023 Bulletin of Entomological Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics induce behavioural and developmental deficits in the Drosophila model

Researchers generated polyethylene microplastics sized 2-10 micrometers and tested their effects on fruit flies (Drosophila). They found that exposure caused severe declines in fly longevity, reduced locomotor function in both larvae and adults, decreased eclosion rates, and increased antioxidant enzyme activity along with stress-response gene activation. The findings provide evidence that polyethylene microplastics can impair growth, development, and survival in a well-established animal model.

2025 Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Neuromuscular, retinal, and reproductive impact of low-dose polystyrene microplastics on Drosophila

Researchers found that even low doses of polystyrene microplastics impaired neuromuscular signaling, altered retinal function, and reduced reproductive rates in fruit flies, with gene expression changes in key signaling pathways underlying these effects.

2021 Environmental Pollution 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastic ingestion on development, adult fitness, and reproductive success of Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles quadrimaculatus

Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to Drosophila melanogaster and measured effects on larval development, adult fitness, and reproductive success across generations, finding that MP ingestion impaired multiple fitness traits and that some effects persisted into subsequent generations.

2025 Journal of the Florida Mosquito Control Association
Article Tier 2

Metabolic effects of dietary exposure to polystyrene microplastic and nanoplastic in fruit flies

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study the metabolic effects of ingesting polystyrene microplastic and nanoplastic particles at environmentally relevant doses. They found that both particle sizes disrupted metabolic processes, with nanoplastics causing more pronounced changes in energy storage and lipid metabolism. The study suggests that dietary exposure to plastic particles, even at levels found in the environment, can meaningfully alter metabolic physiology.

2025 Journal of Experimental Biology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse biological effects of ingested polystyrene microplastics using Drosophila melanogaster as a model in vivo organism

Researchers used fruit flies as an in vivo model to study the biological effects of ingesting polystyrene microplastics at three different sizes. Exposure caused significant morphological defects, impaired climbing behavior, and genotoxic effects as shown by a somatic mutation test. The findings suggest that polystyrene microplastics may induce genetic damage primarily through somatic recombination, raising concerns about their potential biological impact on living organisms.

2021 Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 61 citations
Article Tier 2

High-concentration polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics co-exposure shorten insect lifespan and impose ecological risk: Multi-omics evidence from Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study how co-exposure to high concentrations of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affects insect lifespan. Multi-omics analysis revealed that microplastic co-exposure significantly shortened lifespan and disrupted key biological pathways, suggesting potential ecological risks from cumulative microplastic exposure in the environment.

2026 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

Changes in the wing shape and size in fruit flies exposed to micro and nanoplastics

Researchers exposed fruit flies to polystyrene nano- and microplastics during development and then measured changes in wing shape and size using geometric morphometrics. They found that exposed flies had altered wing dimensions compared to controls, with effects varying between males and females. The study demonstrates that plastic particle exposure during early development can produce measurable physical changes in organisms.

2024 Chemosphere 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing genotoxic effects of plastic leachates in Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers exposed fruit flies to chemicals leached from conventional and oxodegradable polypropylene and polyethylene plastics and found that while the flies appeared healthy on the surface, their DNA suffered chromosomal damage and genetic instability in neural tissue. These findings raise concern that plastic leachates — chemicals that seep out of plastic waste — may carry hidden genetic risks for organisms living in contaminated soil.

2024 Chemosphere 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics alter physiological parameters in the Drosophila model

Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and found dose- and size-dependent toxicity at both larval and adult stages. Exposure caused significant behavioral impairments, elevated markers of cellular stress, and activated key stress response genes, indicating that polystyrene microplastics induce oxidative stress and cellular damage.

2026 Environmental Science and Pollution Research