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Bacteriophage Effectiveness for Biocontrol of Foodborne Pathogens Evaluated via High-Throughput Settings
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Bacteriophage Effectiveness for Biocontrol of Foodborne Pathogens Evaluated via High-Throughput Settings

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Inhibition of Antimicrobial-Resistant Escherichia coli Using a Broad Host Range Phage Cocktail Targeting Various

Jinshil Kim1,2, Haejoon Park1,2, Sangryeol Ryu1,2

  • 1Department of Food and Animal Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|September 13, 2021
PubMed

Insights

A novel phage cocktail effectively controlled antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli on retail chicken. This biocontrol approach significantly reduced E. coli contamination on chicken skin without inducing phage resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Food Microbiology
  • Bacteriophage Therapy
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) *Escherichia coli* in food animals is a significant public health concern.
  • Commensal AMR *E. coli* acts as a reservoir for resistance genes, transferable to human pathogens.
  • Retail poultry is a common vehicle for AMR *E. coli* transmission to consumers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate a phage cocktail for controlling AMR *E. coli* on retail chicken.
  • To assess the efficacy of phage therapy against AMR *E. coli* in a food matrix and under refrigeration.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and characterization of five broad-host-range phages belonging to the *Myoviridae* family.
  • Construction of a phage cocktail targeting 67 AMR *E. coli* strains from retail chicken.
  • In vitro and in situ experiments evaluating phage cocktail efficacy on chicken skin at refrigeration temperatures.

Main Results:

  • The phage cocktail inhibited 91% of tested AMR *E. coli* strains, demonstrating broad-spectrum activity across different phylogenetic groups.
  • Phage treatment rapidly reduced viable AMR *E. coli* counts by approximately 3 log units on chicken skin within 3 hours.
  • No phage resistance was observed in *E. coli* populations during the treatment period.

Conclusions:

  • Bacteriophages can serve as effective biocontrol agents against AMR commensal *E. coli* in poultry products.
  • Phage therapy offers a promising strategy to mitigate the risk of AMR transmission through contaminated food.
  • The developed phage cocktail demonstrates potential for application in the food industry to enhance food safety.
Keywords:
antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia colibacteriophagecocktailphage cocktailraw chicken

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