Tomato juice has antibacterial properties that can destroy salmonella

A study published in Microbiology Spectrum, an American Society for Microbiology magazine, found that tomato juice helps eliminate Salmonella Typhi and other bacteria that might harm digestive and urinary tract health. Salmonella Typhi is a lethal human organism that causes typhoid fever.

"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, associate professor at the department of microbiology and immunology in Cornell University.

First, the researchers conducted laboratory experiments to determine whether tomato juice killed Salmonella Typhi. Once they determined that it worked, the scientists examined the tomato genome to identify the antimicrobial peptides involved.

Antimicrobial peptides are very small proteins that impair the bacterial membrane and keep them as intact organisms. The researchers chose 4 possible antimicrobial peptides and tested how well they worked against Salmonella Typhi. This helped them find 2 antimicrobial peptides effective against Salmonella Typhi.

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, two antimicrobial peptides can eliminate these pathogens by impairing the bacterial membrane, a protective layer that surrounds the pathogen. "Our research shows that tomato and tomato juice can get rid of enteric bacteria like Salmonella," Song said.

The researchers said they hope that when the general public, particularly children and teenagers, learns about the outcome of the study, they will want to eat and drink more tomatoes as well as other fruits and vegetables because they provide natural antibacterial benefits to consumers.