ABSTRACT
Plastic products are widely used in various fields, and the discarded plastics in the environment can be degraded into microplastics (MPs) or even nanoplastics (NPs), which significantly increases the risk of organism exposure. MPs/NPs have been found in aquatic organisms, birds of prey, and even humans. The detection of plastic particles in biological samples is more complicated than that in environmental samples. Biological samples are mainly composed of various organic substances such as proteins and lipids, which makes the pretreatment process particularly critical. Effective detection and accurate quantification of MPs/NPs are crucial to health risk assessment. In this paper, the exposure levels and composition of MPs/NPs in different tissues and organs of the human body, aquatic organisms, and birds of prey were reviewed. The digestion of biological samples (acids, bases, enzymes, and hydrogen peroxide digestion protocols) and MPs/NPs identification methods (spectroscopy and chromatography) were compared and their advantages and disadvantages were assessed, providing a methodological basis for plastic exposure risk assessment and pollution control.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To observe the role of yogurt containing 2 type of Bifidobacterias in improving the intestinal comfort in children. Methods:A 4-week, single-arm, non-randomized study was conducted from October 23, 2021 to November 21, 2021, in which, healthy children aged 3-6 years in real life were provided with commercially available children′s yogurt supplemented with Bifidobacteriumlactis BL-99 and Bifidobacterium infantis YLGB-1496.The questionnaire on gastrointestinal symptoms in children and the Patient-Oriented SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (PO-SCORAD) index were used to evaluate the intestinal comfort and skin sensitivity changes at baseline, week 1, week 2, and week 4, respectively. Kruskal- Wallis rank sum test was used for comparison at different time points. Results:A total of 39 children, involving 20 boys and 19 girls with the median age of 5.0 years completed the study.There were significant differences in intestinal comfort score and PO-SCORAD scores, distribution of stool consistency and night awakening frequency at different time points (baseline, week 1, week 2 and week 4) (all P<0.05). The total score of intestinal comfort at week 2 and 4 was 12.0 (10.0, 13.0) points and 10.0 (9.0, 10.0) points, which was significantly lower than that at baseline[17.0 (15.0, 21.0) points, P<0.05]. The total score of intestinal comfort at week 4 was significantly lower than that at week 1[13.0 (11.0, 15.0)points] and week 2 (all P<0.05). At week 4, all children had an ideal stool consistency (type 3-4). At week 4, 33 (84.6%) of the children woke up 0 times, and 6 (15.4%) of the children woke up once or twice.The PO-SCORAD scores at week 1, 2 and 4 were 10.2 (6.5, 14.7) points, 8.2 (5.5, 14.2) points and 5.5 (4.5, 9.0) points, respectively, which were all significantly lower than that at baseline[18.3 (11.6, 25.3) points, all P<0.05]. The total PO-SCORAD score at week 4 was significantly lower than that at week 1 ( P<0.05). Conclusions:After eating yoghurt supplemented with Bifidobacteriumlactis BL-99 and Bifidobacterium infantis YLGB-1496 for 4 weeks, the children′s intestinal comfort and stool consistency, night awakening and skin sensitivity are improved.
ABSTRACT
Infancy is the most critical period for the formation and development of intestinal flora, which is an important stage for the rapid succession and stable colonization of intestinal flora involved in the health and establishment and improvement of the immune system.Breast milk is rich in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which can effectively promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the infant intestine.It inhibits the invasion of pathogen, improves the composition of the intestinal flora, increases its diversity, and promotes the growth and development of the infant.This study mainly reviews the research status of HMOs and its influence on the infant intestinal flora.