Work

High fiber diet mitigates exposure risk of nanoplastics in male mice

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Potential health risk associated with dietary intake of nanoplastics has emerged as a global health concern, yet approaches for reducing gastrointestinal nanoplastic exposure remain poorly explored. Here, we investigated whether increasing dietary fiber intake influences the gastrointestinal fate of nanoplastics in male mice utilizing a visible/near-infrared dual fluorescence labeling technique combined with non-invasive imaging. The estimated retention rates of nanoplastics-associated fluorescence are decreased by two and seven times in male mice fed with medium fiber diet and high fiber diet compared to those with standard fiber diet, 24 h after oral intake. High fiber diet is associated with attenuated nanoplastics-induced epithelial damage to intestinal tract and declined detectable NIR fluorescence in important organs such as liver during 28-d oral exposure to nanoplastics. In vitro simulations show that dietary fiber physically encapsulates and adheres nanoplastics to decrease their bioavailability. Understanding how dietary constituents influence the gastrointestinal fate of nanoplastics may provide a scientific basis for the future development of dietary strategies aimed at reducing nanoplastic exposure.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-78675-7