PET Micro(nano)plastics Modulate Metformin-Albumin Binding and Species-Specific Bacterial Responses
Abstract
Metformin is a widely used antidiabetic drug that may enter biological and environmental systems together with micro/nanoplastics; however, their combined effects on protein interactions and microbial responses remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated how polyethylene terephthalate micro/nanoplastics (PET MNPs) influence metformin interactions with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the subsequent responses of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. BSA-metformin systems were conditioned with three PET MNP loads and increasing metformin concentrations. The resulting particle-depleted filtrates were evaluated using fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, the Bradford assay, Rayleigh light scattering, turbidity, dithiothreitol-based oxidative potential, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurements. Bacterial growth, superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione-related thiol antioxidant response, lipid peroxidation, ROS generation, and biofilm formation were also assessed. PET MNP conditioning altered the fluorescence responses of tryptophan and tyrosine, modified BSA-associated absorbance, and produced non-linear changes in protein accessibility, aggregation-related scattering, turbidity, and oxidative indicators. The bacterial responses were species-specific. Escherichia coli showed increased bacterial growth under several exposure conditions, whereas Staphylococcus aureus exhibited reduced growth following metformin addition,…
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