Role of Nanoplastics in Decreasing the Intestinal Microbiome Ratio: A Review of the Scope of Polystyrene.

ABSTRACT: Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are increasingly recognized as emerging intestinal toxicants. This scoping review maps and integrates evidence from 56 studies (47 primary and 11 review articles, 2000-mid-2025) on how nanoplastics, particularly ≤100 nm polystyrene, disrupt gut homeostasis. The evidence consistently supports a three-stage mechanistic cascade: 1. Oxidative-stress initiation-Nanoplastics generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppress antioxidant defenses, producing redox imbalance in intestinal tissue and commensal bacteria. 2. Barrier dysfunction-Resulting oxidative injury reduces tight-junction proteins, depletes mucus-secreting goblet cells, and activates inflammatory signaling (NF-κB, TLR4). 3. Microbiome reconfiguration-The altered intestinal microenvironment favors G

SUBMITTER: Sutton SC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12737679 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature