Nano/Micro Formulations for Bacteriophage Delivery.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microbiology
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Bacteriophages offer therapeutic potential but require protection from environmental instability.
• Encapsulation enhances bacteriophage stability and enables controlled delivery, crucial for therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe two novel encapsulation methodologies for bacteriophages.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these methods using biocompatible materials.

Main Methods:

• Bacteriophages were encapsulated using a lipid cationic mixture.
• A second method involved encapsulating bacteriophages in alginate combined with calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
• Both methods utilized highly concentrated bacteriophage lysates (10^10-10^11 pfu/mL).

Main Results:

• Successful encapsulation of Salmonella bacteriophages with diverse morphologies was achieved using both lipid and alginate-based methods.
• The encapsulation materials did not compromise the antibacterial efficacy of the bacteriophages.
• The developed technologies are adaptable to various bacteriophages and potential delivery routes.

Conclusions:

• Lipid cationic mixtures and alginate-CaCO3 provide effective bacteriophage encapsulation.
• These methods enhance bacteriophage stability and controlled release for therapeutic applications.
• The encapsulation techniques are versatile and can be applied broadly in bacteriophage therapy.