Characterization of Broad Spectrum Bacteriophage vB ESM-pEJ01 and Its Antimicrobial Efficacy Against Shiga Toxin-Producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> in Green Juice
Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (STEC) infections have increased in humans, animals, and the food industry, with ready-to-eat (RTE) food products being particularly susceptible to contamination. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains has rendered the current control...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/1/103 |
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| Summary: | Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (STEC) infections have increased in humans, animals, and the food industry, with ready-to-eat (RTE) food products being particularly susceptible to contamination. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains has rendered the current control strategies insufficient to effectively control STEC infections. Herein, we characterized the newly isolated STEC phage vB_ESM-pEJ01, a polyvalent phage capable of infecting <i>Escherichia</i> and <i>Salmonella</i> species, and assessed its efficacy in reducing STEC in vitro and food matrices. The phage, belonging to the <i>Tevenvirinae</i>, exhibits effective bacteriolytic activity, a short latent period, large burst size, and stability under a broad pH range and moderate temperatures. Moreover, the phage demonstrated strong anti-biofilm efficacy even at low concentrations. Genomic analysis revealed that the phage was similar to the well-characterized RB49 phage (T4-like phage) but possesses distinct host-specificity-related genes that potentially contribute to its extensive host range. The efficacy of phage vB_ESM-pEJ01 was evaluated in artificially STEC-inoculated green juice samples, where it significantly reduced STEC and the abundance of Shiga toxin-producing genes at 4 and 25 °C. Therefore, these results suggest that the polyvalent phage vB_ESM-pEJ01 is a promising biocontrol agent for foodborne pathogens in RTE foods such as fresh juices. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-2607 |