Microplastics and Micronutrient Homeostasis: Molecular Mechanisms and Health Implications

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) have emerged as pervasive environmental contaminants that are increasingly detected in food, water, air, and human tissues. Although considerable attention has focused on their capacity to induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction, relatively little is known about their effects on micronutrient homeostasis. Recent studies suggest that MNP exposure may alter the absorption, bioavailability, transport, and tissue distribution of essential trace elements and vitamins, potentially disrupting cellular processes that depend on these micronutrients. Many micronutrients, including copper, zinc, iron, manganese, selenium, and B vitamins, are indispensable regulators of mitochondrial function, intermediary metabolism, redox balance, immune responses, and neurodevelopment. Disturbances in micronutrient availability may therefore represent a fundamental and underappreciated mechanism through which microplastics influence cellular physiology and disease susceptibility. This Research Topic seeks to establish a mechanistic framework linking microplastic exposure to micronutrient-dependent biological processes. We welcome original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, and perspectives that explore how microplastics and nanoplastics alter micronutrient metabolism and how these interactions affect cellular and organismal health. Areas of interest include: • Effects of microplastics on the absorption, transport, and bioavailability of vitamins and trace elements. • Interactions between microplastics and metal homeostasis, including copper, zinc, iron, manganese, and selenium. • Mitochondrial dysfunction arising from micronutrient perturbations induced by microplastic exposure. • Microplastics, oxidative stress, and antioxidant micronutrient pathways. • Consequences for intermediary metabolism, bioenergetics, and metabolic flexibility. • Impacts of micronutrient dysregulation on neurodevelopment, aging, and chronic diseases. • Gut microbiome-mediated effects on micronutrient utilization and host metabolism. • Multi-omics approaches to characterize micronutrient-dependent responses to microplastic exposure. • Nutritional and micronutrient-based interventions to mitigate the biological effects of microplastics.The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together researchers from micronutrient biology, toxicology, metabolism, environmental health, neuroscience, and mitochondrial medicine to define emerging links between environmental microplastic exposure and nutrient-dependent cellular function. By highlighting micronutrient homeostasis as a potential mediator of microplastic toxicity, this collection aims to identify novel mechanisms of disease susceptibility and opportunities for prevention and therapeutic intervention. This topic will provide a timely platform for advancing an emerging field at the intersection of environmental exposures, nutrition, and molecular biosciences. Topic editors: Cecilia Giulivi, Valery Forbes Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82521/microplastics-and-micronutrient-homeostasis-molecular-mechanisms-and-health-implications