A lactic acid bacterium called Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, isolated from kimchi, demonstrated the ability to bind to nanoplastics under laboratory and simulated human gut conditions.
The probiotic strain maintained 57% adsorption efficiency in simulated intestinal fluid, while a reference strain dropped to just 3%.
In germ-free mouse experiments, the bacterium more than doubled the amount of nanoplastics detected in feces compared to untreated animals.
Nanoplastics, particles smaller than 1 micrometer, can cross the intestinal barrier and accumulate in organs like the kidneys and brain.
The research was conducted by scientists at the World Institute of Kimchi, a South Korean government-funded institute, and published in the journal Bioresource Technology.
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