Is There Evidence of Health Risks From Exposure to Micro- and Nanoplastics in Foods?

Abstract

The human health impact of exposure to micro (MP) and nanoplastics (NP) from food remains unknown. There are several gaps in knowledge that prevent a complete risk assessment of them. First, the fact that some plastics may be chemically harmful, either directly toxic themselves or because they absorb and carry other components, which makes these particles may possess 3 types of hazards, physical, chemical and biological. In addition, the levels at which toxic effects may occur are unknown and there is a lack of studies to estimate the levels to which we are exposed. Plastic particles can induce physical stress and damage, apoptosis, necrosis, inflammation, oxidative stress and immune responses, which could contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodevelopmental conditions, among others. In addition, they may have effects on other pathologies that have not yet been studied, such as food allergy, where they could act modifying the digestibility of food allergens, increasing intestinal permeability, promoting an intestinal inflammatory environment or causing intestinal dysbiosis, which could promote food allergen sensitization. However, given the limited information on the presence of MP and especially NP in food, further research is needed to estimate whether they could amplify the risk of allergic sensitization to food proteins and to elucidate the risk to human health.

Association between Microorganisms and Microplastics: How Does It Change the Host–Pathogen Interaction and Subsequent Immune Response?

“…Among other biological molecules in the environment, it is likely that MPs can act as carriers for antigens and allergens and, upon inhalation or ingestion, induce an immune reaction that differs from the reaction induced by isolated antigens/allergens. Moreover, it has been established that exposure to MPs can induce an inflammatory reaction and barrier impairment in the digestive system and lungs, thereby exacerbating pathological reactions to food and inhaled allergens [ 41 , 42 ]. In the case of dermal contact, exposure may occur through contaminated soil, settled dust, textiles, and cosmetics [ 16 , 17 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ].…”

Beyond allergic progression: From molecules to microbes as barrier modulators in the gut-lung axis functionality

“…Interestingly, most of the damage caused by MPs on the intestinal barrier seem to be more directly dependent on the particle size and not so much on their composition ( 163 , 164 ). Altogether, these data point towards a potential contribution of MPs to allergic diseases development due to the deleterious effect on the gut epithelium and their pro-inflammatory potential ( 68 , 165 ); nevertheless, further research is required to clarify MP effects in human health.…”

Allergic Inflammation: Effect of Propolis and Its Flavonoids

“…Approximately 200 of the hundreds of thousands allergenic proteins have been isolated from food [ 13 ] and include peanuts, soybeans, crustacea, fish, cow’s milk, eggs, tree nuts and wheat. According to Hefle et al [ 14 ] these allergens make 90% of all reported food allergies worldwide [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

“…This anti-inflammatory activity can be explained by the presence of active flavonoids and cinnamic acid derivatives [ 119 , 120 , 135 , 136 , 137 , 138 ]. The former include acacetin, quercetin, and naringenin (terpenoid constituents may exert an addictive effect; the latter include CAPE and CA [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ,…”