Abstract
HIGHLIGHTS: Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue? Human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics (MP/NPs) is extremely widespread, with evidence of accumulation in biological systems, raising concerns about their role in key biological processes like oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, and genotoxicity, which are central to reproductive health disorders and cancer development. This review connects these reproductive toxicological mechanisms with the potential modulatory effects of widely consumed dietary phytochemicals from ginger, garlic, and turmeric, which are known to influence similar molecular pathways. Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health? The study highlights a critical gap between rising MP/NP exposure and the limited understanding of its long-term reproductive and carcinogenic risks in humans, while proposing biologically plausible mitigation strategies. It integrates emerging evidence suggesting that bioactive compounds in ginger, garlic, and turmeric may counteract oxidative stress, inflammation, and genotoxicity, key processes implicated in MP/NP-related toxicity. Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health? While reducing environmental exposure remains essential, promoting diets rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals (e.g., ginger, garlic, and turmeric) may offer a complementary, low-risk strategy to mitigate potential health effects. Further research is needed to validate these protective effects in the context of MP/NP exposure, particularly through well-designed epidemiological and clinical studies assessing long-term dietary intake and health outcomes. ABSTRACT: Human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics (MP/NPs) is increasingly recognized as a potential environmental health concern, although their role in reproductive carcinogenesis remains unclear. This narrative review aims to evaluate current evidence linking MP/NP exposure to reproductive cancers and to explore the potential chemoprotective effects of bioactive compounds derived from ginger, garlic, and turmeric. A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2008 and 2026. Relevant in vitro, in vivo, and human biomonitoring studies were included to assess mechanisms of toxicity, while preclinical and clinical studies were reviewed to examine the anticancer properties of selected dietary phytochemicals. Available evidence suggests that MP/NPs can accumulate in human biological systems, including reproductive tissues, where they induce oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endocrine disruption, and DNA damage, processes closely associated with carcinogenesis. Although epidemiological data remain limited and do not establish cancer, emerging biomonitoring and experimental findings support a biologically plausible link between MP/NP exposure and hormone-related cancers. Concurrently, bioactive compounds such as curcuminoids, gingerols, and organosulfur compounds demonstrate the ability to modulate key molecular pathways involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell proliferation. Preclinical studies consistently report anticancer effects, while early clinical evidence suggests improvements in oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers, though definitive therapeutic benefits remain uncertain. Overall, this review highlights important mechanistic links and identifies dietary phytochemicals as potential modulators of MP/NP-induced carcinogenic pathways. However, further well-designed epidemiological and clinical studies are needed to clarify causal relationships and validate their protective role.