Exploring the Microbial Ecology of Sweet Cherry Fruits from Portugal

Antibiotic effectiveness has been declining in recent years, owing mostly to the development of drug-resistant bacteria. Furthermore, because the majority of fruits and vegetables are consumed fresh, it is critical to see them as vectors for the spread of harmful microbes linked to illness outbreaks. As a result, there is a growing global interest in the microbial community of fruits and vegetables. As a result, understanding the food microbiome is crucial for food safety, consumption, growth control, and discovering novel sources of bioactive chemicals and beneficial bacteria. Among plants, Prunus avium fruits, i.e., sweet cherry fruits, have been a focus of several studies, chiefly due to their medicinal and health-promoting properties. Given the mentioned and the absence of data about sweet cherries microbiology, the present study aimed to assess the culturome of Portuguese sweet cherries over almost 3 months. For such, there were cultivated homogenates of sweet cherries on different broths. A total of 125×10 3 UFC/g bacteria and 212×10 2 UFC/g fungi were found on Trypticase soy agar and Sabouraud-Cloramphenicol media, respectively. The selected isolates were then molecularly identified by amplifying the 16S rRNA gene and ITS region. A total of 22 different bacteria and 33 fungi species were identified. Pseudomonas and Ralstonia were the most prevalent bacteria, while Metschnikowia , Aureobasidium , and Hanseniaspora were the most abundant fungi. The obtained data revealed that fruits ripen showed higher microbial diversity. The present investigation opens doors for further studies to reveal interactions between microbial species and the full safety of these fruits. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany