Fresh fruit and vegetable bacteria: Diversity, antibiotic resistance and their possible contribution to gut microbiota

Fruits and vegetables constitute an important functional food group that has the potential for promoting the health of individuals and preventing many diseases. However, they are also homes for diverse groups of microbial communities including pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds and parasites. Most studies so far have focused more on detection of pathogens rather than identification and characterization of the diverse microbial populations present in fresh produce. This review focuses on the diversity of fresh produce-associated bacteria and uses their antibiotic resistance characteristic as a model to understand the capability of these underexplored bacteria to influence the resistome of fresh produce and possibly the resistome of other environmental niches and humans. The gut microbiota, which is important for maintaining the healthy state of an individual, can be influenced by the microbiota of fresh fruits and vegetables especially if they harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, this review also discusses the diversity of gut microbiota and the possible transfer of antibiotic resistance genes among them.