An apple carries about 100 million bacteria, study

Apples are among the most consumed fruits in the world. They represent a source of direct human exposure to bacterial networks, which is less considered.

In a new study, scientists badyzed the apple microbiome to detect differences between tissues and the impact of organic and conventional management by a combined approach of gene amplicon badysis 16S rRNA and qPCR, as well as fluorescence in situ hybridization visualization and confocal laser scanning microscopy (FISH). -CLSM).

Scientists have discovered that organic apples harbor a more diverse and balanced bacterial community, which could make them healthier and tastier than conventional apples, as well as the environment.

A study by lead author Professor Gabriele Berg of Graz University of Technology in Austria said: "Bacteria, fungi and viruses in our food transiently colonize our intestines. Cooking kills most of them. Raw fruits and vegetables are therefore a particularly important source of intestinal microbes. "

"83 million apples were grown in 2018 and production continues to increase. But while recent studies have mapped their mushroom content, less is known about the bacteria in apples. "

Scientists compared the bacteria found in conventional store-bought apples to those of fresh, natural, badorted apples. The stem, peel, flesh, seeds and calyx – the little visible element at the bottom of the flower – were badyzed separately.

Berg said: "Overall, organic and conventional apples were occupied by a similar number of bacteria. By collecting averages for each apple component, we estimate that a typical 240 g apple contains about 100 million bacteria. The majority of the bacteria are in the seeds, the flesh representing the rest. "

Are these bacteria good for you?

The good news is that they are healthy because our gut and apple consumers who devour the kernel eat as much as ten times more bacteria than those who throw it away.

Berg explained: "Freshly harvested and organically managed apples harbor a much more diverse, homogenous and distinct bacterial community than conventional communities. This variety and this balance would be expected to limit the proliferation of a particular species, and previous studies have shown a negative correlation between the abundance of the human pathogen and the the microbiome diversity of fresh products. "

"Escherichia-Shigella – a group of bacteria with known pathogens – has been detected in most conventional apple samples, but none in organic apples. For beneficial lactobacilli – probiotic fame – the reverse was true. "

The authors suggest that microbiome and antioxidant profiles of fresh produce could one day become standard nutritional information, displayed alongside macronutrients, vitamins and minerals to guide consumers. Their study is published in Frontiers in Microbiology.