Isolation, Partial Characterization and Application of Bacteriophages in Eradicating Biofilm Formation by on Stainless Steel Surfaces in Food Processing Facilities.

The () group is a widespread foodborne pathogen with a persistent ability to form biofilm, and with inherent resistance to traditional treatment in the food industry. Bacteriophages are a promising biocontrol agent that could be applied to prevent or eliminate biofilms formation. We have described, in this study, the isolation from sewage samples and preliminary characterization of bacteriophages that are active against the group. The effectiveness of phage treatment for reducing attachment and biofilms on stainless steel surfaces has been also assessed using three incubation periods at different titrations of each phage. Out of 62 phages isolated, seven showed broad-spectrum lytic action against 174 isolates. All selected phages appeared to be of the family. SDS-PAGE proved that two phages have a similar profile, while the remainder are distinct. All isolated phages have the same restriction pattern, with an estimated genome size of around 37 kb. The isolated bacteriophages have been shown to be effective in preventing biofilm formation. Reductions of up to 1.5 log UFC/cm have been achieved, compared to the untreated biofilms. Curative treatment reduced the bacterial density by 0.5 log UFC/cm. These results support the prospect of using these phages as a potential alternative strategy for controlling biofilms in food systems.