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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis
Published on: December 16, 2016
Metabolic profiles and protein expression responses of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) to polystyrene microplastic
Yu Liu1, Shuai Wu2, Lipin Chen1
1School of Food Science and Technology, Hainan University, Hainan 570228, PR China; College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No.1299, San Sha Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, PR China.
Abstract:
The underlying toxicity mechanisms of microplastics on oysters have rarely been explored. To fill this gap, the present study investigated the metabolic profile and protein expression responses of oysters to microplastic stress through metabolomics and biochemical analyses. Oysters were exposed to microplastics for 21 days, and the results indicated that the microplastics induced oxidative stress, with a significant decrease in SOD activity in the 0.1 mg/L exposure group. Metabolomics revealed that exposure to microplastics disturbed many metabolic pathways, such as amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and that different concentrations of microplastics induced diverse metabolomic profiles in oysters. Overall, the current study provides new reference data and insights for assessing food safety and consumer health risks caused by microplastic contamination.
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