Shahzad Suleman, Hussain Fida, Sharma Aparna, Mehdi Syed Ejaz Hussain, Pandey Sandesh, Kang Woochang, Yoon Hakwon, Yang Youri, Oh Sang Eun
Department of Biological Environmental, Kangwon National University, Hyoja-2-dong, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, 24341, Republic of Korea.
Department of Environmental Science, University of Lahore, Lahore, 545590, Pakistan.
Biodegradation. 2025 Sep 17;36(5):85. doi: 10.1007/s10532-025-10179-5.
Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) have emerged as a promising biological agent for degrading synthetic plastics. This study aimed to establish a non-invasive method to monitor plastic biodegradation by linking oxygen consumption to metabolic activity and to investigate microbial and chemical changes associated with plastic degradation. Larvae were maintained under controlled conditions (25 ± 0.5 °C; 75 ± 5% relative humidity) and fed expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polypropylene (PP) for 28 days. Survival rates, daily plastic consumption, and oxygen uptake were recorded. Frass was analyzed for molecular weight changes, while GC-MS, FTIR, and NMR were used to detect chemical modifications in degraded polymers. Gut microbiota composition was assessed by sequencing to identify taxa associated with plastic diets. Survival exceeded 80% in plastic-fed groups compared to 44.2% in unfed controls. Mean daily plastic consumption per 100 larvae was 15.7 ± 2.2 mg (EPS) and 16.4 ± 1.5 mg (PP). Frass analysis revealed significant depolymerization, while GC-MS, FTIR, and NMR confirmed oxidative modifications and the formation of shorter-chain alkanes. Microbiome profiling showed consistent presence of Spiroplasma, Lactococcus, and Enterococcus, with enrichment of Staphylococcus and Providencia in EPS-fed groups. Oxygen uptake correlated with plastic degradation, validating it as a real-time metabolic indicator. This study demonstrates that oxygen uptake can serve as a real-time proxy for plastic degradation in vivo, providing higher temporal resolution than endpoint assays. The findings highlight the dual role of larvae and their gut microbiome in polymer breakdown, offering new insights into sustainable bioconversion strategies for plastic waste.
黄粉虫幼虫（黄粉虫）已成为一种有前景的降解合成塑料的生物制剂。本研究旨在建立一种非侵入性方法，通过将氧气消耗与代谢活性联系起来监测塑料生物降解，并研究与塑料降解相关的微生物和化学变化。将幼虫置于受控条件下（25±0.5°C；相对湿度75±5%），喂食发泡聚苯乙烯（EPS）或聚丙烯（PP）28天。记录存活率、每日塑料消耗量和氧气摄取量。分析粪便的分子量变化，同时使用气相色谱-质谱联用仪（GC-MS）、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪（FTIR）和核磁共振仪（NMR）检测降解聚合物中的化学修饰。通过测序评估肠道微生物群组成，以鉴定与塑料饮食相关的分类群。与未喂食对照组的44.2%相比，喂食塑料组的存活率超过80%。每100只幼虫的平均每日塑料消耗量为15.7±2.2毫克（EPS）和16.4±1.5毫克（PP）。粪便分析显示明显的解聚，而GC-MS、FTIR和NMR证实了氧化修饰和短链烷烃的形成。微生物组分析表明，螺旋体、乳球菌和肠球菌持续存在，在喂食EPS组中葡萄球菌和普罗威登斯菌富集。氧气摄取与塑料降解相关，证实其为实时代谢指标。本研究表明，氧气摄取可作为体内塑料降解的实时替代指标，提供比终点测定更高的时间分辨率。研究结果突出了幼虫及其肠道微生物群在聚合物分解中的双重作用，为塑料废物的可持续生物转化策略提供了新的见解。
