There may be a humble superhero hiding in our daily diet: the tomato. New research shows that this bright red fruit (or is it a vegetable? The scientific community is still debating) is not only delicious, but it may also be a mysterious weapon against bacterial infections in the gut. A research team from Cornell University in the United States has discovered that certain compounds contained in tomato juice have powerful antiseptic properties, especially against salmonella, a stubborn enemy that often causes food poisoning.
Think about it, this means that the next time you eat tomato sauce pasta, you may not only be enjoying a delicious meal, but also protecting your gut from salmonella. The research team focused specifically on one serotype of Salmonella enterica Typhi. This bacterium, which only lives in humans, can cause typhoid fever once it enters the bloodstream and spreads through the body.
Advertisement (Please continue reading this article)
What’s interesting about this study is that although we generally avoid salmonella infections through proper food handling and storage, typhoid fever remains a significant public health problem in many areas due to a lack of clean water and sanitation. And here tomatoes quietly play the role of hero. The team combined fresh tomato juice with laboratory-cultured Salmonella typhi and found that the bacteria were killed within 24 hours, and that this bactericidal effect did not come from the acidity of the tomato juice.
Further research revealed that the tomato genome contains genes encoding small proteins (peptides) that act as antibacterial agents. The researchers identified two of four candidate peptides that not only inhibited the growth of Salmonella typhi but even killed strains resistant to ciprofloxacin, the main antibiotic used to treat typhoid fever.
Destroys Salmonella cell membrane in 45 minutes
Advertisement (Please continue reading this article) In the experimental part, Salmonella Typhi was mixed with tomato juice or a solution containing antimicrobial peptides. After 45 minutes of incubation, the membrane permeability was evaluated by bacterial live-dead staining. The dyes used are SYTO9 (green, indicating live bacteria) and propidium iodide (PI, red, indicating dead bacteria). Representative images of bacterial cells were taken through fluorescence microscopy. Experimental data showed that tomato juice and antimicrobial peptides significantly increased bacterial mortality compared with the control group (PBS solution), proving their effective bactericidal effect on Salmonella. (Photo/”Microbiology Spectrum”)
Don’t underestimate these “tomato peptides”. They show amazing effects in interacting with bacterial cell membranes and can destroy the cell membrane of Salmonella in just 45 minutes. Further experiments showed that the compounds also killed non-typhoid strains of Salmonella Typhimurium, a strain that often causes non-fatal food poisoning.
This discovery is not just an academic advance, it also provides a new perspective on our daily diet. The research doesn’t mean we should start drinking tomato juice like crazy, after all, no one food works wonders on its own. But this highlights the importance of including tomatoes in a balanced diet, which not only helps provide nutrients but may also help us avoid illness and food poisoning.
Of course, this all also depends on the affordability and availability of tomatoes. The research has been published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum. As the secrets of tomato juice are gradually revealed, who knows what surprises your next tomato dinner might bring you?
For more science and technology news, you can go directly to Tomorrow Science Network http://www.tomorrowsci.com
Source of first picture: DALL.E
Image Source:Microbiology Spectrumcc By4.0
Reference papers:
1.Antimicrobial properties of tomato juice and peptides against typhoidal Salmonella Microbiology Spectrum
Further reading:
2024-02-03 13:58:11
#Tomato #Juice #Miracle #Natures #Salmonella #Killer #Science #Tomorrow #LINE #TODAY
