Ready-To-Eat Rocket Salads as Potential Reservoir of Bacteria for the Human Microbiome
Giacomo Mantegazza, Giorgio Gargari, Robin Duncan, Fabio Consalez, Valentina Taverniti, Patrizia Riso, Simone Guglielmetti
Abstract
Western-type diets are composed of foods with a reduced amount of naturally occurring microorganisms. It was hypothesized that a microbe-depleted diet can favor the alteration of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem, therefore contributing to the onset of chronic metabolic and immune diseases currently recognized as the most significant causes of death in the developed world. Here, we studied the microorganisms that are associated with commercial ready-to-eat rocket salads produced through different farming practices. We showed that rocket salad (a widely consumed vegetal food frequently eaten raw) may be a source of lactic acid bacteria and other microbes that can survive gastrointestinal transit, potentially increasing the biodiversity of the intestinal microbiota. This deduction may be valid for virtually all vegetal foods that are consumed raw.