Application and challenge of bacteriophage in the food protection

Haojie Ge; Shasha Fu; Huimin Guo; Maozhi Hu; Zhengzhong Xu; Xiaohui Zhou; Xiang Chen; Xin'an Jiao

doi:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109872

Application and challenge of bacteriophage in the food protection

Int J Food Microbiol. 2022 Nov 2:380:109872. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109872. Epub 2022 Aug 13.

Authors

Haojie Ge¹, Shasha Fu¹, Huimin Guo¹, Maozhi Hu¹, Zhengzhong Xu¹, Xiaohui Zhou², Xiang Chen³, Xin'an Jiao¹

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
² Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. Electronic address: xiaohui.zhou@uconn.edu.
³ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: chenxiang@yzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35981493
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109872

Abstract

In recent years, foodborne diseases caused by pathogens have been increasing. Therefore, it is essential to control the growth and transmission of pathogens. Bacteriophages (phages) have the potential to play an important role in the biological prevention, control, and treatment of these foodborne diseases due to their favorable advantages. Phages not only effectively inhibit pathogenic bacteria and prolong the shelf life of food, but also possess the advantages of specificity and an absence of chemical residues. Currently, there are many cases of phage applications in agriculture, animal disease prevention and control, food safety, and the treatment of drug-resistant disease. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress on phages against foodborne pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Staphylococcus aureus. We also discuss the main issues and their corresponding solutions in the application of phages in the food industry. In recent years, although researchers have discovered more phages with potential applications in the food industry, most researchers use these phages based on their host spectrum, and the application environment is mostly in the laboratory. Therefore, the practical application of these phages in different aspects of the food industry may be unsatisfactory and even have some negative effects. Thus, we suggest that before using these phages, it is necessary to identify their specific receptors. Using their specific receptors as the selection basis for their application and combining phages with other phages or phages with traditional antibacterial agents may further improve their safety and application efficiency. Collectively, this review provides a theoretical reference for the basic research and application of phages in the food industry.

Keywords: Antibiotic; Bacteriophage; Biocontrol; Foodborne diseases; Lysozyme.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacteriophages*
Food Microbiology
Food Safety
Foodborne Diseases* / microbiology
Listeria monocytogenes*
Salmonella