Journal
FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 76, Issue -, Pages 304-309Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2018.06.002
Keywords
Bacteriophage; Encapsulation; Storage stability
Funding
- CIDA
- FQRNT
- MAPAQ
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Novalait
- [2011-LT-143068]
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In an effort to reduce food safety risks, virulent phages are investigated as antibacterial agents for the control of foodborne pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate microencapsulation (ME) as a tool to concentrate and store staphylococcal bacteriophages. As a proof of concept, phage Team1 belonging to the Myoviridae family was microencapsulated in alginate gel particles of 0.5 mm (micro-beads) and 2 mm (macro-beads) of diameter. Gel contraction occurred during the hardening period in the CaCl2 solution, and the diameters of the initial alginate droplets shrunk by 16% (micro-beads) and 44% (micro-beads). As compared to the phage counts in the alginate solution, this contraction resulted in the increase of the phage titers, per g of alginate gel, by factors of 2 (micro-beads) and 6 (micro-beads). The encapsulation yield was highest in the macro-beads. Although phage Team1 was successfully frozen in beads, ME did not improve phage stability to freeze-drying. The addition of glycerol protected the microencapsulated phages during freezing but had no effect on free phage suspensions. Finally, ME improved storage stability at 4 degrees C but had no impact on freezing or drying over three months of storage.
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