Potentially harmful effects of micro-/nanoplastics on humans as well as protective actions of dietary natural products

Abstract

Background

Microplastics and nanoplastics are hot research topics in many fields (e.g., food science, nutrition, environment, ecology and toxicology). They have potentially harmful effects on humans, such as neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. Humans are exposed to microplastics and nanoplastics through food, drinking water and air. Thus, it is necessary to discover dietary natural products that can protect against these harmful effects caused by microplastics and nanoplastics.

Scope and approach

This review summarizes potentially harmful effects and underlying mechanisms of microplastics and nanoplastics on humans, according to high-quality literature from Web of Science and PubMed databases. Furthermore, dietary natural products that can protect humans against these harmful effects are also summarized and discussed.

Key findings and conclusions

Microplastics and nanoplastics have been detected in many organs of humans, such as the colon, placenta, and heart. Epidemiological studies indicate that microplastics are positively associated with colorectal cancer, myocardial infarction, stroke, and even death. Experimental studies demonstrate that microplastics and nanoplastics have carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, development toxicity, hepatoxicity, as well as nephrotoxicity, and can induce intestinal dysfunction, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, some dietary natural products, such as probiotics, chrysoeriol, salidroside, resveratrol, herbacetin, melatonin, quercetin, and vitamin D, can ameliorate toxicities induced by microplastics and nanoplastics. In the future, priorities should be implemented to discover more dietary natural products that can protect humans from the toxicities of microplastics and nanoplastics. Overall, we hope that this review can attract more attention to the harmful effects of microplastics and nanoplastics and also highlight the potential protective actions of dietary natural products against them.