Study shows tomato juice can kill salmonella

New research shows that tomatoes contain compounds that can effectively eliminate salmonella, the bacteria that causes dangerous typhoid fever. This reinforces the belief that tomato consumption is beneficial to health and beauty.

Typhoid fever is a type of Salmonella typhi that enters the bloodstream and causes symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea. This condition can be prevented by following proper food handling practices and using antibiotics. However, it remains a major public health problem in areas with poor sanitation and clean water. In 2016, an outbreak of drug-resistant typhoid fever occurred in Pakistan, causing infectious disease experts to worry about possible regional and global outbreaks.

University researchers studied the potential of tomatoes and tomato juice to kill enteric pathogens such as Salmonella typhi. Tomatoes are widely consumed and contain antimicrobial peptides, making them a viable candidate for studying lifestyle interventions against bacterial infections.

Laboratory-grown Salmonella typhi was found to die within 24 hours of exposure to fresh tomato juice. The pH of tomato juice is around 4.5, which is good conditions for bacterial growth. Therefore, the team determined that it was still alive.

In one study, researchers searched the tomato genome for genes containing antimicrobial peptides. They discovered two peptides that were effective in eliminating antibiotic-resistant Salmonella typhi. By simulating their interaction with bacterial cell membranes, they observed that these peptides caused membrane rupture in just 45 minutes.

Studies have found that tomato antimicrobial peptides are effective against Salmonella enterica, which causes gastroenteritis, and uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which causes non-typhoid urinary tract infections.

One study found that tomatoes and tomato juice can eliminate salmonella and other intestinal bacteria. While it's worth noting that this study was conducted on cells rather than humans, it does suggest that incorporating tomatoes into the diet could contribute to public health. A study of children under 2 years old in 64 developing countries showed that 45.7% of them did not eat vegetables or fruits, highlighting that malnutrition is a problem in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The potential of tomatoes to prevent typhoid outbreaks in developing countries depends on their affordability and accessibility.