Research on Qi601™ Biofilm Shield™ suggests that this postbiotic technology may physically associate with microplastic and nanoplastic particles during early exposure and help keep those particles bound through modeled digestive conditions.
In a five-participant interventional crossover human proof-of-concept study, researchers evaluated whether Qi601™ could bind with microplastic particles released during normal gum chewing. In the control condition, participants chewed commercially available gum for ten minutes and provided saliva samples for microscopic analysis. Those samples showed the presence of microplastic particles released during chewing.
In the crossover condition, the same participants repeated the chewing procedure with Qi601™ present. Microscopic analysis showed a visible association between Qi601™ material and the microplastic particles released during chewing.
To evaluate whether this association could remain stable during digestion, follow-on laboratory studies exposed Qi601-bound nanoplastics to simulated human digestive fluids. These included saliva, gastric fluid under fed and fasted conditions, upper intestinal fluid, and colonic fluid.
Across this modeled gastrointestinal sequence, approximately 98% of nanoplastic particles remained associated with Qi601™ compared with untreated controls. These findings support the stability of the Qi601™ binding matrix under laboratory conditions designed to model human digestion.
Scanning electron microscopy further showed that Qi601™ forms small, rough, bumpy clusters that resemble tiny pebbles. These structures appear to surround and physically bind plastic spheres, demonstrating Qi601’s ability to capture nanoplastic particles at a very small scale.
Together, these findings suggest that microplastic and nanoplastic particles captured by Qi601™ during initial oral exposure may remain physically associated with the Qi601™ biofilm matrix through simulated gastrointestinal transit. This supports the role of Qi601™ as a daily microplastic defense technology designed to help bind micro- and nanoplastics in the gut and support their natural passage through the digestive process.
