Vet World Vol.18 February-2025 Article - 22
Research Article
Veterinary World, 18(2): 475-483
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.475-483
Efficiency, cytotoxicity, and survivability evaluation of Salmonella phage cocktail against Salmonella derived from broiler sources
2. Research Center for Theoretical Simulation and Applied Research in Bioscience and Sensing, Walailak University, Thasala, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand.
3. Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
4. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
5. Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand.
6. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
Background and Aim: Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide, often linked to poultry products. Antibiotic resistance among Salmonella strains has increased the need for alternative decontamination strategies, such as bacteriophage (phage) therapy. This study evaluates the lytic efficiency, cytotoxicity, and survivability of a Salmonella phage cocktail derived from wastewater sources.
Materials and Methods: A total of 251 Salmonella enterica isolates from broiler production chains were tested against two selected phages (WP109 and WP128). The phages were characterized for lytic ability, cytotoxicity on Caco-2 cells, and survivability under simulated gastrointestinal and harsh environmental conditions. A cocktail of the phages was further tested for efficiency at different multiplicities of infection (MOIs) against representative Salmonella strains.
Results: Phage WP109 lysed 91.2% of Salmonella isolates, while WP128 lysed 78.2%. The phage cocktail exhibited a significant reduction of Salmonella counts at MOI 104, achieving up to a 4.4 log CFU/mL reduction in vitro. The cocktail maintained 99.9% survivability in simulated gastric conditions and displayed no cytotoxic effects on Caco-2 cells. Moreover, it was resistant to various ionic sanitizers and pH levels ranging from 2 to 11.
Conclusion: The developed phage cocktail demonstrated high lytic efficacy, stability, and safety under simulated conditions, highlighting its potential as a biocontrol agent in the broiler production chain. These findings support its application in reducing Salmonella contamination while addressing the challenges posed by antibiotic resistance.
Keywords: antibiotic resistance, bacteriophage therapy, food safety, phage cocktail, poultry production, Salmonella.
How to cite this article: Pelyuntha W, Narkpao T, Yamik DY, Kiatwuthinon P, Sanguankiat A, Kovitvadhi A, and Vongkamjan K (2025) Efficiency, cytotoxicity, and survivability evaluation of Salmonella phage cocktail against Salmonella derived from broiler sources Veterinary World, 18(2): 475-483.
Received: 2024-09-08 Accepted: 2025-01-20 Published online: 2025-02-26
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.475-483
Copyright: Pelyuntha, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
