Microbiological Quality of Unpeeled Fruits Sold in the Local Market of Tangail District, Bangladesh, and Assessment of Health Impacts

Abstract

Introduction: Fruits are good source of vitamins, nutrients, minerals, micronutrients, and fiber. However, fruits are usually eaten uncooked and this is hazardous for health as fruits are highly susceptible to microbial contamination during harvesting or postharvest processing. Methods: Nine fruits that we usually eat without peeling were tested by applying different standard microbiological methods. Biochemical and antibiogram tests were performed to confirm bacterial isolates and antibiotic-resistant patterns, respectively. We also performed an anthropometric assessment to evaluate if local common fruits caused any prevalent digestive disorders. Results: The highest Total Viable Count (TVC) was found in guava (1.95×105 CFU/gm), whereas the highest Total Coliform Count (TCC) was in grape (3.39×104 CFU/g). The mean value of TVC of all fruits was 7.112×103 CFU/g and TCC was 6.02×102 CFU/g, respectively. Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and Vibrio spp. were confirmed by biochemical tests. Antibiogram study shows that these bacterial isolates were resistant to commercially available antibiotics. E. coli isolates were resistant to penicillin (73.3%); Salmonella spp. Isolates were resistant to Penicillin (80%), and Amoxicillin (80%). In case of Vibrio spp. isolates, they were resistant to Penicillin (66.67%), Amoxicillin and Erythromycin (60%). The anthropometric assessment showed that acidity occurred more frequently than abdominal pain and digestive disorder among the correspondents. In the case of both male and female respondents, black plum and apple were mostly responsible for gastric acidity and the frequencies were 41% to 45%, respectively. Conclusion: Fruit is a natural source of vitamins and minerals essential for our health, at the same time steps must be taken to ensure that they are free from pathogenic microbes. Therefore, public awareness is necessary for proper hygiene and good health.