> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Sesame seed extract and konjac gum may help ward off Salmonella and E. coli - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/sesame_seed_extract_and_konjac_gum_may_help_ward_off_salmonella_/ - Published: 2008-08-05T18:09:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T16:00:01.000Z - Description: Petra Becker and colleagues at Wageningen exposed 18 food products to bacteria in the lab and found sesame seed extract and konjac gum bound the most E. coli and Salmonella, which may keep the bacteria from latching onto gut cells. Yeast, tomato and pumpkin also helped. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Supplements, Nutrition, E. coli, Sesame, Konjac, #vivvo-import Contact: Meral Nugent meral.nugent@soci.org 020-759-81533 Society of Chemical Industry Sesame seed extract and konjac gum may help ward off Salmonella and E. coli A new study in SCI's Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that konjac gum and sesame seed extract may offer protection against different strains of E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. The study by Dr Petra Becker et al from Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands, shows that these foodstuffs act as binders for E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. The bacteria attach themselves to the fibrous foods instead of the gut cells of the host. Dr Becker says that eating a diet full of these foodstuffs may offer protection from gastro-intestinal infections or reduce the severity of symptoms caused by E. coli or Salmonella. Other foods that were shown to have a beneficial effect included yeast, tomato, and pumpkin. In the lab study which also included negative controls, the scientists looked at 18 food-related products including coffee beans, carrot, mango, fermented soya, and food stabilizers such as locust bean gum and konjac gum. All were subjected to in-vitro exposure to various bacteria which were allowed to attach themselves to the test products. The levels of bound bacteria were determined in a microplate-based method specifically developed for this purpose. The results showed that sesame seed extract and konjac gum had the greatest number of adhered bacteria, leading to the conclusion that they may have a part to play in preventing certain E. coli and Salmonella from latching onto the host. Dr Becker said: 'The importance of fibre, particularly from certain foodstuffs, in maintaining a healthy gut and digestion cannot be underestimated. The study shows that these foods bind certain bacteria and may be a means of stopping bacteria from entering host cells thereby preventing disease.' ### For more information or a full copy of the article, contact: Meral Nugent, Press and Public Relations Manager, T: +44 (0)20 7598 1533, F: +44 (0) 20 7598 1545, Mob: 07931 315077 E: meral.nugent@soci.org By news release Aug 5, 2008 - 8:04:56 AM