Experimental results have shown that lactic acid bacteria derived from kimchi may promote the excretion of microplastics from the body.

On the 11th, the research team of Dr. Lee Se-hee and Dr. Won Tae-woong at the World Institute of Kimchi announced that they had confirmed that the lactic acid bacterium “Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656,” isolated from kimchi, has the ability to adsorb microplastics. Microplastics can enter the human body through food or drinking water, and because of their extremely small size, they are known to potentially pass through the intestines and accumulate in organs such as the kidneys or brain. However, research on methods to reduce microplastics in the intestinal tract is still at an early stage.

In experiments conducted in a solution simulating the human intestinal environment, the lactic acid bacterium isolated from kimchi maintained an adsorption rate of 57% for microplastics. In animal experiments, the amount of nanoplastics detected in the feces of rats administered this lactic acid bacterium more than doubled. This suggests a high likelihood that the lactic acid bacteria combined with nanoplastics in the intestinal tract and facilitated their excretion from the body.

This study is significant in that it provides scientific evidence that lactic acid bacteria derived from kimchi may not only be involved in fermentation, but also interact with micro-contaminants introduced from the environment. The research team plans to expand studies to clarify the effects of reducing microplastic accumulation in the intestines and to elucidate the detailed mechanisms of action.

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