Project Grant 20236701739054

EDIBLE PLANTS HOST ABUNDANT MICROORGANISMS, MANY OF WHICH CAN SURVIVE TRANSIT THROUGH THE MAMMALIAN GUT AND MAY EVEN BE METABOLICALLY ACTIVE. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE QUANTIFIED MICROBIAL ABUNDANCE ON COMMERCIAL PRODUCE DURING HARVEST, STORAGE, TRANSPORTATION, AND AT POINT OF SALE, BUT LIMITED DATA EXISTS AT THE POINT OF CONSUMPTION, PARTICULARLY FOR GARDEN-FRESH PRODUCE. GARDEN-FRESH AND STORE-BOUGHT PRODUCE LIKELY HARBOR DISTINCT MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES, DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN HANDLING AND PROCESSING OVER THE SUPPLY CHAIN. SINCE GARDEN-FRESH PRODUCE TYPICALLY UNDERGO MINIMAL DISINFECTION PROCEDURES, THEY MAY YET HOST A BROAD DIVERSITY OF SOIL- AND PLANT-ASSOCIATED MICROBIOTA. EXPOSURE TO SOME OF THESE ENVIRONMENTAL MICROORGANISMS HAS BEEN LINKED WITH BENEFICIAL HEALTH EFFECTS, HOWEVER, OTHER MICROORGANISMS CONTAMINATING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES MAY BE PATHOGENIC.THIS PROJECT AIMS TO 1) CHARACTERIZE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES OF GARDEN-FRESH AND STORE-BOUGHT PRODUCE AND 2) COMPARE EFFECTS OF CONSUMING GARDEN-FRESH VERSUS STORE-BOUGHT PRODUCE ON GUT MICROBIOME DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION. IT WILL DO SO BY RECRUITING 20 HEALTHY ADULT GARDENERS TO PARTICIPATE IN A TWO-ARM CROSSOVER DIET TRIAL COMPARING CONSUMPTION OF USDA-RECOMMENDED DAILY AMOUNTS OF RAW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES SOURCED EITHER FROM THEIR OWN GARDEN (ARM 1) OR THE SAME FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM A SUPERMARKET (ARM 2). SUBJECTS WILL PROVIDE FRUIT/VEGETABLE AND FECAL SAMPLES DAILY DURING EACH ARM OF THE TRIAL. SHOTGUN METAGENOMIC SEQUENCING WILL BE USED TO CHARACTERIZE DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES INHABITING GARDEN-FRESH VS STORE-BOUGHT PRODUCE AND CHANGES IN THE HUMAN GUT MICROBIOME DURING EACH ARM OF THE TRIAL.