Research team's starch-based biodegradable plastics, not petroleum, may also cause health problems
Apr 10, 2025
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This problem was identified in an experiment in which mice were exposed to starch-based microplastics for three months, according to a paper by Deng Yongfeng, a professor at Nanjing University in China, published in the journal Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (ACS). Microplastics of less than 5mm are known to enter the human body through contaminated drinking water or food, causing various health risks.
The research team divided 15 mice into three groups, fed general feed to one group and starch-based microplastics (low and high doses) for three months, and evaluated organ tissue, metabolic function, and intestinal microbial diversity.
Analysis after feeding the feed for three months showed that mice who ate the feed containing microplastics had several organs, including liver and ovaries, and the damage to the high-dose feed group was more severe. However, the general feed group mice showed normal organ tissue biopsy results. In addition, the microplastic feed group showed dangerous symptoms such as elevated blood sugar levels, increased oxidative stress in the liver, and abnormal lipid metabolism due to triglyceride abnormalities and molecular biomarkers related to glucose and lipid metabolism.
The research team estimates that genetic pathway dysregulation and specific intestinal microbial imbalances caused changes in mouse metabolism and circadian rhythms due to microplastic consumption, and further evaluation of safety is needed before using bioplastic on a large scale as food packaging.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
