Culture Dependent and Independent Analysis of Potential Probiotic Bacterial Genera and Species Present in the Phyllosphere of Raw Eaten Produce.

The plant phyllosphere is colonized by a complex ecosystem of microorganisms. Leaves of raw eaten vegetables and herbs are habitats for bacteria important not only to the host plant, but also to human health when ingested via meals. The aim of the current study was to determine the presence of putative probiotic bacteria in the phyllosphere of raw eaten produce. Quantification of bifidobacteria showed that leaves of L., L., and L. harbor between 10 and 10 DNA copies per gram fresh weight. Total cultivable bacteria in the phyllosphere of those three plant species ranged from 10 to 10 CFU per gram fresh weight. Specific enrichment of probiotic lactic acid bacteria from , L., L., and L. led to the isolation of 155 bacterial strains, which were identified as , , and species, based on their intact protein pattern. A comprehensive community analysis of the leaves by PhyloChip hybridization revealed the presence of genera , , and . Our results demonstrate that the phyllosphere of raw eaten produce has to be considered as a substantial source of probiotic bacteria and point to the development of vegetables and herbs with added probiotic value.