The lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi can promote the removal of nanoplastics from the body by binding to them in the gut, the World Institute of Kimchi (WiKim) has announced. The research institute, funded by the South Korean government, operates under the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Nanoplastics are extremely small plastic particles smaller than one micrometre, or one thousandth of a millimetre. They are formed by the degradation of larger pieces of plastic and can enter the human body through food and drinking water. The particles can cross the intestinal barrier and accumulate in organs such as the kidneys and brain, which is why research into biological methods to reduce their accumulation in the digestive tract is still in its early stages.
A research team led by Dr Se Hee Lee and Dr Tae Woong Whon from WiKim tested the ability of the lactic acid bacteria Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, isolated from kimchi, to bind polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NP) to its surface. In standard laboratory conditions, the CBA3656 strain showed a binding efficiency of 87 per cent, while the reference strain Latilactobacillus sakei CBA3608 had an efficiency of 85 per cent.
The difference was observed in conditions simulating the human gut. There, the binding ability of strain CBA3608 dropped sharply to only 3 per cent, while CBA3656 maintained a level of 57 per cent. The experiments were conducted on mice raised in sterile conditions, without microorganisms. Compared to the control group that did not receive the probiotic, both male and female mice given the CBA365 strain had more than double the amount of nanoplastics in their faeces.
The research thus provides evidence that lactic acid bacteria from kimchi can interact with environmental pollutants. Dr Se Hee Lee, the lead researcher on the study, stated that plastic pollution is increasingly recognised not only as an environmental issue but also as a matter of human health. She added that microorganisms from traditional fermented foods could represent a new biological approach to this growing challenge.
Lee announced that she would continue to research the scientific value of kimchi’s microbial resources to contribute to public health and address environmental issues.
