Impact of food matrices on the characteristics and cellular toxicities of ingested nanoplastics in a simulated digestive tract

Microplastic and nanoplastic (MNP) pollution has become a major global food safety concern. MNPs can interact with food matrices, and their passage through the gastrointestinal tract can modify their properties. To explore whether and how food matrices influence MNP toxicity, we investigated the interactions between polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and food matrices, using an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model. Then, we tested cell viability, particle uptake and cellular toxicities induced by PS-NPs with food matrices in Caco-2 cells. The results showed that PS-NPs were aggregated, both with and without food matrices, after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Glyceryl trioleate exerted greater ability to stabilize digestas and to disperse PS-NPs than starch and bovine serum albumin. The protein corona's protein composition on PS-NPs varied when it interacted with different food matrices. Moreover, when combined with food matrices, the PS-NPs’ uptake was enhanced, thus aggravating cellular inflammation, stress, and apoptosis levels. Finally, through co-exposure to a mixture of food matrices, we found a combined negative effect of PS-NPs and cadmium on cellular inflammation, stress, and apoptosis levels. This is the first study to compare the impact of various food matrices on the characteristics and cellular toxicities of ingested NPs in a simulated digestive tract. •Food matrices change PS-NP characteristics during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.•Food matrices alter protein corona's protein composition on PS-NPs.•Food matrices increase the PS-NPs’ cellular uptake in Caco-2 cells.•Food matrices aggravate PS-NP-induced cell death, inflammation, stress, apoptosis.•Co-exposure to NPs, Cd and food matrices exacerbates negative effect of cell toxicity.