Polysorbate 80, gut bacteria and gut lining in lab tests
What it found
In a lab model of the gut, polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose changed the mix of gut bacteria and affected the gut lining, with effects that depended on the dose.
The two emulsifiers acted differently.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Bacterial mix changed
Both emulsifiers changed the mix of bacteria in the lab model, and the size of the change depended on the dose.
More proinflammatory groups
The emulsifiers increased groups of bacteria with proinflammatory capacities and decreased groups known to help the gut barrier.
Polysorbate 80 and bacteria
Higher doses of polysorbate 80 significantly decreased Bacteroides dorei and Akkermansia, bacteria linked to anti-inflammatory potential.
Carboxymethylcellulose and bacteria
Higher doses of carboxymethylcellulose were linked to more Ruminococcus torques and Hungatella, which harm the gut barrier.
Gut lining effects
The two emulsifiers had different effects on the gut lining when gut bacteria were present. Liquid from the lab model fed polysorbate 80 disrupted the gut lining less than the additive alone, while both the bacteria and the liquid from the model fed carboxymethylcellulose reduced gut lining integrity even though the additive alone did not.
What the authors conclude
“These findings highlight the need to incorporate the gut microbiome in the risk assessment of these additives.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say these findings highlight the need to include the gut bacteria in risk assessments of these additives.
How it was done
People have raised safety concerns about dietary emulsifiers such as polysorbate 80 and sodium carboxymethylcellulose because of how they interact with gut bacteria.
They added increasing amounts of polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose to a four-stage lab model of the gut bacteria. They then looked at how the bacterial mix changed and how the gut lining was affected.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a lab model of the gut, not a study in people. It cannot show what happens in a living person.
- The lab model cannot show whether these changes would cause health problems over time.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
- Authors work at
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación, Spain
The paper
- Title
- Polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose: A different impact on epithelial integrity when interacting with the microbiome
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Bellanco A, Requena T, Martínez-Cuesta MC (2025). Polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose: A different impact on epithelial integrity when interacting with the microbiome. Food and chemical toxicology. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2025.115236PubMed 39778648DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error