Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Lytic Phage vB_Sen-P10 with Biocontrol Potential Against Salmonella Enteritidis in Food Systems

Abstract The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains has intensified the need for alternative and sustainable antimicrobial strategies in food safety applications. This study aimed to characterize the morphological, biological, and genomic properties of the Salmonella Enteritidis-specific bacteriophage vB_Sen-P10 isolated from wastewater and to evaluate its potential as a biopreservative in the food industry. Phage morphology, host range, growth kinetics, adsorption behavior, genomic composition, stability under diverse environmental and gastrointestinal conditions, and bacteriolytic efficacy in culture medium, milk, and raw chicken meat were investigated. vB_Sen-P10 exhibited lytic activity against 23 of 46 tested Salmonella enterica strains and was classified within the genus Jerseyvirus of the class Caudoviricetes , possessing a double-stranded DNA genome of 43,566 bp with a G + C content of 49.94%. Importantly, the vB_Sen-P10 genome contains the endolysin gene but lacks any genes involved in lysogenicity, virulence or antibiotic resistance. The phage demonstrated a latent period of 20 min, a burst size of 298 PFU per infected cell, a burst duration of 25 min, and an optimal MOI of 0.01, along with rapid host adsorption (99%) and a low adsorption coefficient (6.41 × 10⁻⁹). Furthermore, vB_Sen-P10 maintained its stability under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions, across a wide pH range (3–12), elevated temperatures (up to 80 °C), and high salt concentrations (5 M NaCl), and showed resistance to bile salts, proteolytic enzymes, disinfectants, and detergents. In the bacteriolytic activity test, vB_Sen-P10 phage destroyed S. Enteritidis very effectively both in the culture medium, milk and raw chicken meat applications. These results indicate that vB_Sen-P10 is a safe, stable, and highly effective lytic phage with strong potential for biocontrol and phage therapy applications in food safety.