Internalization of enteropathogenic human bacteria in lettuce and coriander plant tissue
Open Access
- 31 May 2018
- journal article
- Published by Academic Journals in ISABB Journal of Health and Environmental Sciences
- Vol. 5 (3), 28-32
- https://doi.org/10.5897/isaab-jhe2018.0043
Abstract
The ability of plant rhizosphere and to some extent phyllosphere to support metabolism of some human enteric bacteria has been widely demonstrated. The nutrients provided by seedlings during germination support bacterial survival in tissue of growing plants. Plant rhizosphere has been described as being high in nutrients, and rhizosphere microbiomes are well adapted to this environment, enteric human pathogens when introduced to such environment face strong competition and their survival is depended on biofilm formation. Coriandrum sativum (coriander) and Lactuca sativa (lettuce) were transplanted in soil mixed with human excreta at a ratio of 40:1 containing 3log10 cfu/g soil of a mixture of human enteric pathogens, consisting of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enterica and control pots (positive and negative) were included in the experiment. At harvest, which was carried out at seven weeks after planting, soil, roots, stems and leaves were assayed for presence of enteric pathogens both on surface and in the tissue. Pathogenic E. coli and S. enterica were isolated from soil and on the surface of coriander roots. C. jejuni and C. coli were isolated from all the plant tissues. Conclusively, this study demonstrated a rarely reported internalization of C. jejuni and C. coli in coriander at seven weeks post-inoculation. It is therefore evident that use of untreated human excreta contaminated with enteric pathogens to grow edible vegetables, could pose significant food safety hazard when consumed uncooked or undercooked. Key words: Internalization, enteric pathogens, human excreta, coriander, rhizosphere.Keywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Interaction of Human Enteric Pathogens with PlantsThe Plant Pathology Journal, 2014
- Characterization of antibiotic resistance in environmental enteric pathogens from Kibera slum in Nairobi-KenyaJournal of Bacteriology Research, 2012
- The impact of extreme weather events on Salmonella internalization in lettuce and green onionFood Research International, 2012
- Assessment of Contamination Potential of Lettuce by Salmonella enterica Serovar Newport Added to the Plant Growing MediumJournal of Food Protection, 2007
- Quantification of contamination of lettuce by GFP-expressing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar TyphimuriumFood Microbiology, 2007
- The rhizosphere as a reservoir for opportunistic human pathogenic bacteriaEnvironmental Microbiology, 2005
- Human excreta for plant productionBioresource Technology, 2005
- Interactions of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes plants cultivated in a gnotobiotic systemInternational Journal of Food Microbiology, 2005
- Comparison of Survival of Campylobacter jejuni in the Phyllosphere with That in the Rhizosphere of Spinach and Radish PlantsApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 2004
- Towards a recycling society: ecological sanitation - closing the loop to food securityWater Science & Technology, 2001