Anti-parasitic activity of cherry tomato peel powders

Authors: Friedman, Mendel; Tam, Christina; Kim, Jong Heon; ESCOBAR, SYDNEY - University Of The Pacific; GONG, STEVEN - University Of The Pacific; LIU, MAX - University Of The Pacific; YU MAO, XUAN - University Of The Pacific; DO, CINDY - University Of The Pacific; KUANG, IRENE - University Of The Pacific; BOATENG, KELVIN - University Of The Pacific; HA, JANICA - University Of The Pacific; TRAN, MEGAN - University Of The Pacific; ALLURI, SRIMANTH - University Of The Pacific; LE, TAM - University Of The Pacific; LEONG, RYAN - University Of The Pacific; Cheng, Luisa; LAND, KIRKWOOD - University Of The Pacific

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2021
Publication Date: 1/23/2021
Citation: Friedman, M., Tam, C.C., Kim, J., Escobar, S., Gong, S., Liu, M., Yu Mao, X., Do, C., Kuang, I., Boateng, K., Ha, J., Tran, M., Alluri, S., Le, T., Leong, R., Cheng, L.W., Land, K.M. 2021. Anti-parasitic activity of cherry tomato peel powders. Foods. 10(2). Article 230. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020230.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020230

Interpretive Summary: Infection by the parasitic organism Trichomonas vaginalis in humans causes the sexually transmitted disease (STD) trichomoniasis, reported to be the most common non-viral transmitted infection in the world. Strains of Tritrichomonas foetus are reported to cause the disease of trichomonosis in farm animals (bulls, cows, and pigs), as well as in domestic animals (cats and dogs). In cows, the disease causes failed pregnancies and infected cows are usually culled. In domesticated cats, the disease infects the gastrointestinal tract, causing diarrhea. Because of high rates of clinical resistance to the widely used drug metronidazole, new treatments are needed to replace or to complement the available therapies. The need for new treatments is illustrated by a recent publication from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health (NIH) that emphasizes the need for new therapeutics to help overcome the global epidemic of sexually transmitted infections, including trichomoniasis. As part of an effort to discover the efficacy of safe food extracts and their bioactive constituents against pathogenic trichomonads, we previously reported on the anti-trichomonal effects of potato and tomato glycoalkaloids, potato peels, and of black tea and other food-compatible compounds and extracts against three trichomoniasis- and trichomonosis-causing pathogens. To help meet the need to develop new effective therapeutic agents, the objective of the present study is to evaluate anti-trichomonad, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties of powders prepared from leaves, stems, and tomatoes harvested from a growing plant, and relate this to their composition, as determined using high-performance-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). The results of the described efforts suggest that several tomato-plant-derived powders could replace or enhance the therapeutic potency of metronidazole.

Technical Abstract: Trichomoniasis in humans, caused by the protozoal parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease, while Tritrichomonas foetus causes trichomonosis, an infection of the gastrointestinal tract and diarrhea in farm animals and domesticated cats. As part of an effort to determine the inhibitory effects of plant-based extracts and pure compounds, seven commercially available cherry tomato varieties were hand-peeled, freeze-dried, and pounded into powders. The anti-trichomonad inhibitory activities of these peel powders at 0.02% concentration determined using an in vitro cell assay varied widely from 0.0% to 66.7% against T. vaginalis G3 (human); from 0.9% to 66.8% for T. foetus C1 (feline); and from 0.0% to 81.3% for T. foetus D1 (bovine). The organic Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (D) peels were the most active against all three trichomonads, inhibiting 52.2% (G3), 66.8% (C1), and 81.3% (D1). Additional assays showed that none of the powders inhibited the growth of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, pathogenic fungi, or non-pathogenic lactobacilli. Tomato peel and pomace powders with high content of described biologically active compounds could serve as functional food and feed additives that might help overcome adverse effects of wide-ranging diseases and complement the treatment of parasites with the anti-trichomonad drug metronidazole