Scientists in South Korea have discovered that a probiotic bacterium commonly found in kimchi may help the body remove tiny plastic particles known as nanoplastics.
The findings suggest that microorganisms from traditional fermented foods could one day play a role in protecting human health from growing plastic pollution.
The research was carried out by scientists at the World Institute of Kimchi, a government-funded research organization supported by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT. The findings were published in the scientific journal Bioresource Technology.
Plastic pollution has become one of the biggest environmental problems in the world. Large plastic waste slowly breaks down over time into smaller and smaller pieces. Eventually, some of these fragments become so tiny that they are invisible to the naked eye.
Nanoplastics are among the smallest plastic particles scientists have identified. They measure less than one micrometer in size, which is about one-thousandth of a millimeter.
Because they are so small, researchers worry that nanoplastics may enter the human body through food, drinking water, seafood, packaging materials, and even the air people breathe.
Scientists are especially concerned because these tiny particles may pass through the intestinal barrier and move into organs such as the kidneys, liver, and brain. Although research is still ongoing, some studies suggest nanoplastics could contribute to inflammation, cell damage, hormone disruption, and other health problems.
At the moment, scientists still know very little about how to remove nanoplastics from the body once they enter the digestive system. This is why the new research from South Korea has attracted attention.
The scientists focused on a special strain of probiotic bacteria called Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656. This bacterium was originally isolated from kimchi, the traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish known for its rich probiotic content.
Kimchi is made by fermenting vegetables such as cabbage with beneficial bacteria. During fermentation, microorganisms grow naturally and help produce the food’s sour flavor and potential health benefits.
For many years, researchers have studied probiotics because they may support digestion, immunity, and gut health. Some probiotic bacteria may also help fight harmful microbes inside the digestive tract.
In the new study, researchers wanted to see whether the kimchi-derived bacterium could attach itself to nanoplastics and help remove them from the body.
The team, led by Drs. Se Hee Lee and Tae Woong Whon, tested how well the bacterium could bind to polystyrene nanoplastics under different laboratory conditions.
Polystyrene is a common plastic used in products such as food containers, packaging materials, disposable cups, and insulation.
The results were impressive. Under standard laboratory conditions, the kimchi bacterium achieved an adsorption efficiency of 87%. This means the bacteria successfully attached to most of the nanoplastic particles in the experiment.
Researchers also compared the kimchi bacterium to another probiotic strain called Latilactobacillus sakei CBA3608. Under standard conditions, both strains performed similarly.
However, the most important differences appeared when researchers created conditions designed to imitate the human intestine.
Under these more realistic digestive conditions, the reference probiotic strain lost most of its binding ability. Its adsorption rate dropped sharply to only 3%. In contrast, the kimchi-derived bacterium still maintained a much stronger binding rate of 57%.
This finding suggests that the kimchi bacterium may continue attaching to nanoplastics even inside the digestive system.
The scientists then tested the probiotic in germ-free mice. Some mice received the probiotic bacterium while others did not.
After treatment, mice given the probiotic showed more than double the amount of nanoplastics in their feces compared with untreated mice. Researchers believe this suggests the bacterium may help trap nanoplastics inside the intestine and carry them out of the body through waste.
The findings add to growing evidence that beneficial microbes from fermented foods may have functions beyond digestion alone. Scientists are increasingly exploring how gut bacteria interact with environmental toxins, pollutants, and chemicals inside the body.
Lead researcher Dr. Sehee Lee explained that plastic pollution is no longer only an environmental problem. It is increasingly becoming a public health concern as researchers discover more evidence of plastic particles entering food chains and human tissues.
The researchers believe microorganisms from traditional fermented foods such as kimchi may eventually provide new biological approaches for dealing with these pollutants.
The study also highlights the growing scientific interest in the human gut microbiome. The microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms living inside the digestive system. Scientists now believe the microbiome may influence digestion, immunity, metabolism, mental health, inflammation, and many other aspects of human health.
Although the findings are exciting, the researchers caution that the work is still very early. The study was mainly conducted in laboratory conditions and mice rather than humans. Scientists still need to determine whether the same effects occur in people and whether the probiotic can safely and effectively reduce nanoplastic accumulation over long periods.
Future studies will also need to investigate how different types of plastics interact with gut bacteria and whether diet, age, or health conditions influence the probiotic’s effects.
The findings are important because they suggest certain probiotic bacteria may help reduce the body’s exposure to harmful nanoplastics. One major strength of the study is that the researchers tested the bacteria under conditions similar to the human intestine and also confirmed effects in animal experiments.
The work also opens a new area of research linking probiotics and environmental pollutants. However, the study is still limited because it has not yet been tested in humans.
Scientists also do not fully understand how nanoplastics affect long-term human health. More research will be needed before probiotic treatments can be recommended for reducing plastic accumulation in people.
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Source: World Institute of Kimchi.
