Assessment of microplastic contamination in an eastern Pacific tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and evaluation of its health risk implication through molecular docking and metabolomics studies

• Published in: Food Chemistry Vol. 426; p. 136507
• Main Authors: Wu, Lijun, Dai, Xiaojie, Xu, Jing, Ou, Danyun, Wang, Lei, Lin, Hui, He, Weiyi, Lin, Haitao, Du, Rupeng, Huang, Hao, Li, Weiwen, Pan, Zhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.11.2023; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: alpha-glycerophosphoric acid; esophagus; Food Analysis; food chemistry; Food Contamination; Glycerol Kinase; Glycerol Kinase - chemistry; Health risk; hydrogen; intestines; Katsuwonus pelamis; Metabolomics; Microplastics; Models, Molecular; Molecular docking; muscles; Plastics; pollution; polyethylene terephthalates; Protein Structure, Tertiary; risk; Risk Assessment; seafoods; Tuna; Metabolomics; Katsuwonus pelamis; Microplastics; Molecular docking; Health risk
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136507
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072

[Display omitted] •Microplastics were found in a commercially-important tuna from the Eastern Pacific.•125 MPs were detected in gills, esophagus, stomachs, intestinal tracts, and muscle.•Molecular docking implied that PET stabilized the complex and triggered impacts.•MPs yielded metabonomic changes (>1.66 times more expression of Glycerol 3-phosphate).•This study provided insights into effects of MPs on the food safety. This work investigated microplastic (MP) pollution in a commercially-important tuna species Katsuwonus pelamis (K. pelamis) from the Eastern Pacific and health implications. 125 MPs were extracted from gills, esophagus, stomachs, intestinal tracts, and muscle of K. pelamis. MPs in the esophagus was the highest, ∼7.6 times higher than that in the gill. Polyester and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were dominant. Molecular docking implied that PET stabilized the complex via forming 4 new hydrogen bonds that interacted with Arg83, Gln246, Thr267, and Gly268, given that PET can enter glycerol kinase protein active pocket. Metabonomic results suggested that Glycerol 3-phosphate up expressed 1.66 more times that of control groups with no MPs in the muscle. This confirmed that MPs would lie in the glycerol kinase protein active pocket, which triggered menace to K. pelamis. The results provided insights into suggested the potential influence of MPs on the sustainability of fisheries and seafood safety.