Researchers in South Korea say a probiotic strain isolated from traditional kimchi demonstrated the ability to bind nanoplastics in the digestive tract and increase their excretion in laboratory and animal testing.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Scientists in South Korea have identified a probiotic bacterium derived from kimchi that may help the body eliminate nanoplastics by attaching to microscopic plastic particles in the intestine and promoting their removal through waste.
The findings were published May 18 in the scientific journal Bioresource Technology by researchers from the World Institute of Kimchi, a government-supported research organization operating under South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT.
The study focused on a bacterial strain known as Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, which researchers isolated from traditionally fermented kimchi. The research team, led by Drs. Se Hee Lee and Tae Woong Whon, investigated whether the probiotic could bind to polystyrene nanoplastics and maintain that binding within conditions resembling the human digestive system.
Nanoplastics are ultrafine plastic particles measuring less than one micrometer in size. They are produced as larger plastic products degrade over time and have increasingly been detected in food, drinking water, and human tissue.
Researchers have warned that nanoplastics may enter the bloodstream and travel to organs including the brain after passing through biological barriers inside the body.
A separate 2025 study cited by the researchers estimated that a single liter of bottled water may contain approximately 240,000 plastic particles, with roughly 90 percent classified as nanoplastics.
Scientists have also raised concerns about possible links between microplastic exposure and conditions involving cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, and inflammatory responses.
In laboratory testing, the kimchi-derived probiotic demonstrated an 87 percent adsorption rate when exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics under standard conditions. Researchers compared the strain against a reference bacterium, Latilactobacillus sakei CBA3608, which achieved an 85 percent adsorption rate.
The difference between the two strains became more pronounced under conditions designed to mimic the human intestinal environment.
According to the study, the adsorption capability of the reference strain fell sharply to approximately 3 percent under simulated intestinal conditions. By contrast, L. mesenteroides CBA3656 maintained a 57 percent binding rate.
Researchers said the findings suggest the kimchi-derived strain may continue attaching to nanoplastics within the digestive tract after ingestion, even when other bacterial strains lose effectiveness.
The research team also conducted experiments involving germ-free laboratory mice.
Male and female mice receiving the probiotic strain produced more than twice the amount of nanoplastics in their feces compared to mice that did not receive the probiotic treatment.
Researchers concluded that the bacterium may help facilitate the removal of nanoplastics from the body by binding to particles in the intestine and promoting excretion.
“Plastic pollution is increasingly recognized not only as an environmental issue but also as a public health concern,” lead researcher Se Hee Lee said in a statement accompanying the study.
“Our findings suggest that microorganisms derived from traditional fermented foods could represent a new biological approach to address this emerging challenge,” Lee added.
The researchers noted that the study contributes to growing scientific interest in how microbes from fermented foods may interact with environmental contaminants inside the body.
The World Institute of Kimchi stated that future research will continue exploring microbial strains found in fermented foods for possible environmental and health applications.
Researchers emphasized that the findings remain preliminary and that no human clinical trials have yet been completed involving the probiotic strain.
The study also aligns with broader nutritional research suggesting that probiotics, dietary fiber, and antioxidant-rich foods may help reduce some of the biological effects associated with microplastic exposure.
Source: Natural News
Original article
Comments