Development of Stabilizing Solution for Long-Term Storage of Bacteriophages at Room Temperature and Application to Control Foodborne Pathogens

Abstract

Bacteriophages (phages) have gained considerable attention as effective antimicrobial agents that infect and kill pathogenic bacteria. Based on this feature, phages have been increasingly used to achieve food safety. They are stored in a medium or buffer to ensure stability; however, they cannot be directly applied to food under these conditions due to reasons such as regulatory considerations and concerns about marketability. This study developed a stabilizing solution that allowed the maintenance of phage activity for extended periods at room temperature while being directly applicable to food. The stability of phages stored in distilled water was relatively low. However, adding a stabilizer composed of sugars and salts improved the survival rates of phages significantly, resulting in stability for up to 48 weeks at room temperature. When Escherichia coli O157:H7-contaminated vegetables were washed with tap water containing phages, the phages reduced the pathogenic E. coli count by over 90% compared with washing with tap water alone. Additionally, when pathogenic E. coli-contaminated vegetables were placed in a phage-coated container and exposed to water, the coating of the container dissolved, releasing phages and lysing the pathogenic E. coli. This led to a significant 90% reduction in pathogenic E. coli contamination compared to that after water rinsing. These results suggest an effective and economical method for maintaining phage activity and establishing the potential for commercialization through application in the food industry.