South Korean scientists say the probiotic bacteria in kimchi may help remove nanoplastics from the body by binding to particles in the intestines and helping remove them through waste products.
The World Kimchi Research Institute (Director: Chang Hae-chun), a government-funded research organization under the Ministry of Science, Information and Communications, announced this result after studying lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from kimchi.
Nanoplastics are extremely small plastic particles less than 1 micrometer (μm; 1/1000th of a millimeter). These are formed when large plastic materials break down over time and can enter the body through food and drinking water. Because these particles are so small, researchers are concerned that they can cross the intestinal barrier and accumulate in organs such as the kidneys and brain. Scientists are still in the early stages of discovering biological ways to reduce the accumulation of nanoplastics in the digestive system.
Kimchi probiotics exhibit strong nanoplastic binding
A research team led by Drs. WiKim’s Se Hee Lee and Tae Woong Won discovered that kimchi-derived bacteria Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656. The scientists tested how effectively this strain could attach to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs).
Under standard laboratory conditions, the kimchi strain achieved an adsorption efficiency of 87%; Latilactobacillus you mentioned CBA3608 recorded 85%.
The differences were even more pronounced under conditions designed to mimic the human intestine. While the adsorption rate of the reference strain dropped rapidly to only 3%, strain CBA3656 maintained a much stronger binding level of 57%. The researchers say this suggests that bacteria from kimchi can persist on nanoplastics in environments similar to the human digestive tract.
Mouse study suggests increased nanoplastic excretion
The research team also tested the probiotics in germ-free mice. Male and female mice receiving strain CBA3656 showed more than twice the amount of nanoplastics in their feces compared to mice that did not receive probiotics.
The researchers say the findings show that the bacteria may help remove nanoplastics from the body by binding to particles in the intestines and promoting their excretion.
This study adds to the evidence that microorganisms in fermented foods may do more than support food production and digestion. Scientists say these microorganisms can also interact with environmental pollutants within the body.
“Plastic pollution is increasingly recognized not only as an environmental problem but also as a public health concern,” said Dr. Se-Hee Lee, lead researcher on the study. “Our findings suggest that microorganisms derived from traditional fermented foods may represent a new biological approach to address this emerging challenge. We continue to expand the scientific value of kimchi’s microbial resources and contribute to public health and environmental solutions.”
The research results were published in a magazine biological resource technology (Impact Factor 9.0), ranked #1 in Agricultural Engineering.
