Evaluation of lyophilized bacteriophage cocktail efficiency against multidrug-resistant Salmonella in broiler chickens

• Published in: BMC microbiology Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 338 - 15
• Main Authors: Nabil, Nehal M, Tawakol, Maram M, Samir, Abdelhafez, Hassan, Heba M, Elsayed, Mona Mohieldin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 11-09-2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Bacteriophages; Bacteriophages - genetics; Bacteriophages - isolation & purification; Bacteriophages - physiology; Biocontrol; Biological control; Broilers (Poultry); Care and treatment; Cecum; Cecum - microbiology; Cecum - virology; Chickens; Chickens - microbiology; Colloiding; Composition; Contamination; Control stability; Diagnosis; Diseases; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Foodborne diseases; Freeze drying; Freeze Drying - methods; Genetic aspects; Growth; Health aspects; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin M; In vivo methods and tests; Interleukin 4; Laboratory animals; Livestock farms; Microscopy; Morphology; Multidrug resistance; Multidrug resistant organisms; Neomycin; Oxytetracycline; Parameter identification; Pests; Phage stability; Phage Therapy - methods; Phages; Poultry; Poultry Diseases - microbiology; Poultry Diseases - prevention & control; Poultry Diseases - therapy; Poultry Diseases - virology; Poultry farming; Poultry farms; Poultry industry; Quality control; Real time; Risk factors; S. Kentucky; Salmonella; Salmonella - virology; Salmonella enterica; Salmonella Infections, Animal - microbiology; Salmonella Infections, Animal - therapy; Salmonella Phages - physiology; Salmonellosis; Serotypes; Serum levels; Shelf life; Storage stability; Sucrose; Technology application; United Kingdom; Kentucky; Egypt; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Poultry farms; Phage stability; S. Kentucky; Biocontrol
• ISSN: 1471-2180; 1471-2180
• DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03467-2

Currently, phage biocontrol is increasingly used as a green and natural technology for treating Salmonella and other infections, but phages exhibit instability and activity loss during storage. Therefore, in this study, the effects of lyophilization on the activity and stability of phage cocktails for the control of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in broiler chickens were determined. Eight serotypes of Salmonella were isolated and identified from broiler chicken farms, and bacteriophages against multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Kentucky, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimrium and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis were isolated. The bacteriophage cocktail was prepared and lyophilized, and it was subjected to in vitro and in vivo examinations. A reconstituted lyophilized bacteriophage cocktail was used for the oral treatment of chicks before and after challenge with multidrug-resistant S. Kentucky. The colonization of cecum by S. Kentucky was detected by using real-time PCR, and the serum levels of IgM, IgA and IL-4 and pathological changes in the different groups were detected. Three Caudovirales phages families were identified including Autographiviridae, Straboviridae and Drexlerviridae against multidrug-resistant S. Kentucky, S. Typhimrium and S. Enteritidis. The groups treated with the bacteriophage cocktail showed no clinical signs, no postmortem lesions, and a mortality rate of 0%, which improved the growth performance parameters. Additionally, the estimated serum levels of IgM, IgA and IL-4 were significantly greater in the bacteriophage cocktail-treated groups. Lyophilization effectively preserves the long-term storage stability of phages. Therefore, lyophilized bacteriophage cocktail therapy is a valuable approach for controlling multidrug-resistant Salmonella infections in broiler chickens.