Bacteriophage Cocktail Effectively Prolonging the Shelf-Life of Chilled Fish.

We developed a technological accessory bacteriophage-based preparation and a method for phage-mediated bioprocessing for elimination of pathogenic microorganisms from the surface of fresh fish and for prolongation of the shelf-life of chilled hydrobionts. Specimens of rainbow trout (Salmo irideus) served as the objects of the study carried out at a fish-processing plant in the Republic of Karelia. The specimens were decontaminated by a bacteriophage cocktail containing six original virulent phage strains characterized by their pheno- and genotypical properties. A new method of biodecontamination (plunging the rainbow trout for 30 sec into a solution of bacteriophage cocktail (bacteriophage titers ≥108 PFU/ml) delayed bacterial degradation of hydrobionts by 3 days. The use of the new method for decontamination of food half-products - phage-mediated bioprocessing - promoted preservation of the initial ecological purity, nutritive value, and taste of the products and prolonged their shelf-life in comparison with the actual standards.

Experimental Application of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Coatings with Adsorbed Bacteriophages for Reducing the Risk of STEC Infections.

A new approach to prevention of STEC infection is based on the synergic effect of combined bactericidal activity of bacteriophages and organic-inorganic hybrid coating of metals. The coatings are characterized by superhydrophilic or superhydrophobic properties and multimodal granularity with the texture incorporating metal oxide nanoparticles and bacteriophages. Superhydrophilic surfaces are characterized by significantly higher bactericidal activity than superhydrophobic ones. The cytotoxicity of superhydrophobic surfaces can be increased due to antibacterial activity of bacteriophages combined with the superhydrophobic characteristics of the materials.