According to a study published in the American Society for Microbiology magazine Microbiology Spectrum, tomato juice aids in the destruction of Salmonella Typhi and other bacteria that may have an impact on urinary tract and digestive health. Typhoid fever is brought on by the deadly human organism Salmonella Typhi.
“Our main goal in this study was to find out if tomato and tomato juice can kill enteric pathogens, including Salmonella Typhi, and if so, what qualities they have that make them work,” said principal study investigator Jeongmin Song, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Cornell University.
In order to determine whether tomato juice kills Salmonella Typhi, the researchers first conducted laboratory tests. The scientists examined the tomato’s genome to identify the antimicrobial peptides implicated after they were certain it did. Antimicrobial peptides are minuscule proteins that disrupt the bacterial membrane, preserving the organism intact. Using Salmonella Typhi as a model organism, the researchers tested four potential antimicrobial peptides. They discovered two antimicrobial peptides that effectively combat Salmonella Typhi thanks to this.
The research team conducted more tests on Salmonella Typhi variants that appear in places where the disease is common.
They also did a computer study to learn more about how the antibacterial peptides kill Salmonella Typhi and other enteric pathogens. Lastly, they looked at how well tomato juice worked against other enteric pathogens that can hurt people’s digestive and urinary tract health.
The most significant discovery is that tomato juice is effective in eliminating Salmonella Typhi, its hypervirulent variants, and other bacteria that can harm people’s digestive and urinary tract health. In particular, 2 antimicrobial peptides can eliminate these pathogens by impairing the bacterial membrane, a protective layer that surrounds the pathogen.
