Single exposure of food-derived polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics profoundly affects gut microbiome in an in vitro colon model

• Published in: Environment international 2024-08, Vol.190, p.108884, Article 108884
• Main Authors: Nissen, Lorenzo, Spisni, Enzo, Spigarelli, Renato, Casciano, Flavia, Valerii, Maria Chiara, Fabbri, Elena, Fabbri, Daniele, Zulfiqar, Hira, Coralli, Irene, Gianotti, Andrea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - drug effects; Colon - drug effects; Colon - microbiology; Colon microbiota; Dysbiosis; Food-pollutants; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Humans; Microplastics; Microplastics - toxicity; Polyethylene; Polystyrenes; Volatilome
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108884

[Display omitted] •Colon microbiota from healthy volunteers was exposed in vitro to a mix of PE and PS MPs.•MP content was monitored by Py-GC/MS analysis.•Ecology and metabolism of the microbiota were significantly changed.•MPs increased abundances of opportunistic bacteria and reduced beneficial taxa.•The microbiota shift was consistent with changes in the bacterial metabolic activity. Microplastics (MPs) are widespread contaminants highly persistent in the environment and present in matrices to which humans are extensively exposed, including food and beverages. MP ingestion occurs in adults and children and is becoming an emerging public health issue. The gastrointestinal system is the most exposed to MP contamination, which can alter its physiology starting from changes in the microbiome. This study investigates by an omic approach the impact of a single intake of a mixture of polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) MPs on the ecology and metabolic activity of the colon microbiota of healthy volunteers, in an in vitro intestinal model. PE and PS MPs were pooled together in a homogeneous mix, digested with the INFOGEST system, and fermented with MICODE (multi-unit in vitro colon model) at loads that by literature correspond to the possible intake of food-derived MPs of a single meal. Results demonstrated that MPs induced an opportunistic bacteria overgrowth (Enterobacteriaceae, Desulfovibrio spp., Clostridium group I and Atopobium − Collinsella group) and a contextual reduction on abundances of all the beneficial taxa analyzed, with the sole exception of Lactobacillales. This microbiota shift was consistent with the changes recorded in the bacterial metabolic activity.