Ann Complement Altern Med | Volume 2, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
Carina Harkin
University College Cork (UCC), Ireland
*Correspondance to: Carina Harkin
Fulltext PDFPlastic is ubiquitous with recent studies having highlighted that plastic is in bottled and tap water and food products including honey, sugar and beer. The 3 to 10 tonnes are estimated to fall on Paris per year. Plastic has recently been shown to be a vector for heavy metal contamination and to cross the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). Global concern regarding the health implications is mounting, with the World Health Organization (WHO) having conducted a risk assessment review of plastics. Whilst knowledge gaps exist, we remain to eat, drink and inhale plastic without knowing what harm it is potentially causing. This paper discusses the scale of global microplastic contamination, the sources and routes of microplastic contamination including inhaling and ingesting plastics, and the potential health implications of plastic bioaccumulation. Biotransformation research into is a relatively new field in the early stages of evolution. This paper looks at how plastic is biotransformed and the potential pharmacognostical approaches that have the potential to maximize plastic biotransformation. This paper discusses what is known about how plastic is biotransformed by Phase I cytochrome P450 enzyme group modification and Phase II glutathione, sulphation, glucuronidation and glycine conjugation pathways, and the importance of supporting endogenous antioxidants to assist plastic biotransformation. The paper specifically discusses what is known about how ingested plastics including Phthalates and Bisphenol-A (BPA), and inhaled plastics, including dioxins and furans are biotransformed by these processes and what herbal medicine and nutritional supplementation may maximize plastic biotransformation and address plastic bioaccumulation.
Plastic bioaccumulation; Plastic biotransformation; Microplastic; Nanoplastic; Microplastics in drinking-water; Microplastic exposure and impacts on human health; Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM); Herbal medicine; Nutritional supplements; Pharmacognosy
Harkin C. The Health Implications of Plastic Bioaccumulation and the Potential to Enhance Biotransformation Using Herbal Medicine and Nutritional Supplements. Ann Complement Altern Med. 2020; 2(1): 1008..