Positive and negative aspects of bacteriophages and their immense role in the food chain

Abstract

Bacteriophages infect and replicate inside a bacterial host as well as serve as natural bio-control agents. Phages were once viewed as nuisances that caused fermentation failures with cheese-making and other industrial processes, which lead to economic losses, but phages are now increasingly being observed as being promising antimicrobials that can fight against spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Pathogen-free meals that fulfil industry requirements without synthetic additives are always in demand in the food sector. This study introduces the readers to the history, sources, and biology of bacteriophages, which include their host ranges, absorption mechanisms, lytic profiles, lysogenic profiles, and the influence of external factors on the growth of phages. Phages and their derivatives have emerged as antimicrobial agents, biodetectors, and biofilm controllers, which have been comprehensively discussed in addition to their potential applications in the food and gastrointestinal tract, and they are a feasible and safe option for preventing, treating, and/or eradicating contaminants in various foods and food processing environments. Furthermore, phages and phage-derived lytic proteins can be considered potential antimicrobials in the traditional farm-to-fork context, which include phage-based mixtures and commercially available phage products. This paper concludes with some potential safety concerns that need to be addressed to enable bacteriophage use efficiently.

Physiochemical characterization of a potential Klebsiella phage MKP-1 and analysis of its application in reducing biofilm formation

“…The host range of a phage is one of the key qualities to assess its usefulness in phage therapy. The greater the host range within a particular species, the more effective a particular phage will be against the target pathogen causing a specific disease ( Ranveer et al, 2024 ) However, a phage should not have any killing effects on other bacterial species so as not to affect the friendly commensal bacteria. In this regard, the host range of phage MKP-1 attributed to its usefulness as it showed its lytic activity against three strains of Klebsiella but not against any other species.…”

Biological Properties of Recently Described Wild Bramble Rubus oklejewiczii against the Species from Similar Niches

“…A negative correlation (−0.692) between the content of vitamin C and the number of viable viral particles of bacteriophage phi6 was determined. The antiviral potential of ascorbic acid and low pH was described previously [37,38]. Ascorbic acid is a crucial vitamin for the correct functioning of the immune system of organisms.…”

Complete Genome Sequence and Annotation of a Pseudomonas syringae phage Psxφ15

“…No repressors or integrases were found in the genome through all annotation tools, con rming Psxφ15 as a virulent phage. Temperate phages are not recommended for biocontrol as these viruses additionally possess the lysogenic cycle, which may confer evolutionary advantages to the bacterial host through the transfer of bene cial genes [32,33]. The annotation tools also revealed that there are 10 tRNA genes in the genome of Psxφ15.…”