Recent trends in the use of bacteriophages as replacement of antimicrobials against food-animal pathogens

Abstract

A major public health impact is associated with foodborne illnesses around the globe. Additionally, bacteria are becoming more resistant to antibiotics, which pose a global threat. Currently, many scientific efforts have been made to develop and implement new technologies to combat bacteria considering the increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. In recent years, there has been considerable interest in using phages as biocontrol agents for foodborne pathogens in animals used for food production and in food products themselves. Foodborne outbreaks persist, globally, in many foods, some of which lack adequate methods to control any pathogenic contamination (like fresh produce). This interest may be attributed both to consumers’ desire for more natural food and to the fact that foodborne outbreaks continue to occur in many foods. Poultry is the most common animal to be treated with phage therapy to control foodborne pathogens. A large number of foodborne illnesses worldwide are caused by Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter, which are found in poultry and egg products. Conventional bacteriophage-based therapy can prevent and control humans and animals from various infectious diseases. In this context, describing bacteriophage therapy based on bacterial cells may offer a breakthrough for treating bacterial infections. Large-scale production of pheasants may be economically challenging to meet the needs of the poultry market. It is also possible to produce bacteriophage therapy on a large scale at a reduced cost. Recently, they have provided an ideal platform for designing and producing immune-inducing phages. Emerging foodborne pathogens will likely be targeted by new phage products in the future. In this review article, we will mainly focus on the Bacteriophages (phages) that have been proposed as an alternative strategy to antibiotics for food animal pathogens and their use for public health and food safety.

Advances and optimization strategies in bacteriophage therapy for treating inflammatory bowel disease

“…Therefore, delivering a mixture of bacteriophages targeting the same host (bacteriophage cocktail) could be a potential solution to increase infection likelihood. Another reason for bacteriophage replication failure may be insufficient active bacteriophage numbers in the colon ( 105 ). Indeed, bacteriophage viability is affected by various factors during storage and gastrointestinal transport, such as high temperatures and extreme pH values, leading to a significant reduction in bacteriophage titers and subsequent replication and proliferation failure ( 106 , 107 ).…”

A Way Forward for Phage Therapy in the United States

“…However, research on bacteriophages indicates a broad range of applications beyond the clinical setting, including animal, food, and plant uses. 31 Bacteriophages can also be used as a research tool to detect the presence of certain bacteria, which is useful in food science and agriculture.…”