Ingesting chitosan can promote excretion of microplastics

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Food Science

Background:

• Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly detected in everyday foods like salt and beverages.
• MPs can enter the human body through diet and accumulate in tissues, raising health concerns.
• Understanding mechanisms for MP excretion is crucial for mitigating exposure risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of dietary indigestible materials in promoting the rapid excretion of polyethylene MPs in rats.
• To evaluate the impact of specific compounds, including chitosan, on MP elimination.

Main Methods:

• Rats were fed polyethylene MPs (200 μm) mixed with non-digestive dietary materials: indigestible dextrin, lactosucrose, chitosan, and eggshell membrane proteins.
• Fecal weight, MP excretion rate, and intestinal MP retention were measured over 144 hours.
• A control group received MPs without additives.

Main Results:

• Chitosan supplementation led to significant increases in fecal weight and MP excretion rates.
• The chitosan group exhibited a higher MP excretion rate (115.6% ± 4.5%) compared to the control group (83.7% ± 3.8%).
• Chitosan significantly reduced the retention rate of MPs in the intestine.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan effectively promotes the rapid excretion of polyethylene microplastics in rats.
• Dietary chitosan may serve as a strategy to reduce MP accumulation and associated health risks in humans and other organisms.
• Further research into chitosan-based interventions for MP removal is warranted.