Isolation, Characterization, and Application of Bacteriophages against Salmonella enterica.

Salmonella infection is an important foodborne consumer health concern that can be mitigated during food processing. Bacteriophage therapy imparts many advantages over conventional chemical preservatives including pathogen specificity, natural derivation, potency, and providing a high degree of safety. The objective of this study aimed to isolate and characterize phages that effectively control Salmonella food contamination. A total of 36 bacteriophages infecting Salmonella enterica were isolated, tested at different pH ranging from 3 to 11, and at high temperatures from 37 ° C to 70 ° C, then tested against 11 strains in order to define their host range. The kinetics of phages have been studied in order to understand their lysis process. The genomic restriction profile of the isolated phages was interpreted following the action of 5 restriction enzymes (BamHI, EcoRI, HindIII, and EcoRV, and NdeI). Tests of the application of these phages were carried out on a food matrix in order to evaluate their ability to fight against Salmonella enterica. The results obtained are very encouraging, showing the possibility of using the bacteriophages isolated against Salmonella enterica, which can have a significant socio-economic impact.