A new study has discovered that tomatoes could aid with combating bacterial infections within the gut.

Tomato Potential

Tomatoes are among the most consumed vegetables, or fruits, across the world. They are loaded with various nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins, and other different compounds.

These tomatoes can yield various health benefits. They are good for the skin, bones, heart, and eyes.

Through various cell experiments, scientists from Cornell University were able to find two compounds with the capacity to kill bacteria.

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Salmonella Killers

The researchers were interested in the specific Salmonella bacteria, which is an enteric bacteria genus that attacks the intestine and typically leads to food poisoning. Their study "Antimicrobial properties of tomato juice and peptides against typhoidal Salmonella" was published in the Microbiology Spectrum journal.

They specifically focused on a specific typhoidal Salmonella serotype, Salmonella enterica Typhi. This serotype only lives in humans and brings typhoid fever when it enters the blood from the gut and spreads in the body.

Similar to other pathogens that are foodborne, proper food handling and storage, as well as antibiotic access, could help people avoid Salmonella food poisoning.

However, across the world, typhoid fever is still a serious public health concern, as several people are unable to access sanitation, clean water, and vaccines for typhoid. The condition typically spreads from person to person through contaminated water and food, with children having the highest risk.

Jeongmin Song, a microbiologist and the research team leader, explains that their aim was to discover if tomatoes and their juice have the capacity to kill enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella Typhi. If this was the case, they also wanted to see the qualities that could make this happen.

It was observed that lab-grown Salmonella Typhi cultures that were exposed to tomato juice that was freshly pulped ended up getting killed off within 24 hours. Interestingly, this was not due to the acidity of the juice.

The scientists examined the tomatoes' genomes. They searched for genes that encoded tiny proteins known as peptides, which could serve as antimicrobial channels. Among the four initial candidates, two antimicrobial peptides were identified by the team to inhibit Salmonella Typhi growth. These peptides were even found to kill off a strain that is resistant to ciprofloxacin, which is the main antibiotic used for typhoid fever treatment.

The scientists then modeled the shapes of the two candidate peptides and ran simulations of their interactions with the cell membranes of the bacteria. As predicted by the modeling, the two ruptured the cell membranes of Salmonella Typhi in 45 minutes.

Further experiments showed that the compound also eradicated Salmonella Typhimurium, which is a non-typhoidal Salmonella strain that leads to food poisoning that is not lethal.

As the study focused more on cell experiments, the findings do not prompt tomato juice consumption by the gallon. Rather, it underscores and encourages individuals to incorporate tomatoes into their diet along with other fruits and vegetables.

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