Effects of gastric juices on antimicrobial food

Introduction: The evolutionary struggle of bacteria versus antibiotics is on display every day. Bacterial infections are most often treated with antibiotics, but resistance often develops against them. Prevention and enhancement of immune system are prominently important. Most excellent immune stimulants can be found in vegetable kingdom, and some germs are of significant importance.

Aim: Our aim was to investigate that the compounds of vegetable germs – got into a stomach – retain their antibacterial attributes through gastric juice digestion or possibly transform to antimicrobial compounds. The study includes germ dissociation by tripsine.

Materials and Methods: We examined antimicrobial effects of gastric juices and 16 kinds of vegetable germs (red cabbage, iceberg lettuce, icicle radish, kohlrabi, saffron, pearl bean, lens, etc.) in Mueller-Hinton substrate. We performed gastric juices digestion in vitro of these germs, additionally analyzed the effects of tripsine digested germs in contrast with P. aeruginosa. The examined bacteria are: EPEC, EIEC, ETEC, EHEC, EAEC, S. eneritidis, S. dysenteri, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, E. sp., MRSA, S. aureus, E. faecalis.

Results: In spite of attenuative effect of gastric juices and protein digestion those compounds responsible for antibacterial properties remained, through these germs retained bactericide abilities. Results showed that in most cases extant antimicrobial effect of germs decreased in a small compass. In some cases these abilities of germs showed increase, for example the pearl bean turned into anti-Pseudomonas substance after pepsin digestion.

Conclusion: Consumption of germs which retained theirs antimicrobial effects following gastric juices manipulation (brussels sprouts, paschal rose, pearl bean, crown, fennel) can be advised in some infections. Germs can be used exceedingly everyday because they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, have immune protective and antimicrobial effects.