Encapsulation of Bacteriophages in Alginate Beads: Improved Viability Under Harsh Simulated Gastric and Intestinal Conditions for Phage Therapy Applications
Demonstrates improved stability of encapsulated bacteriophages in gastrointestinal conditions, suggesting effective oral delivery for therapy.
Key Points
The study investigates the potential of sodium alginate to encapsulate bacteriophages, improving their viability under harsh gastrointestinal conditions.
Isolated four lytic bacteriophages from wastewater.
Characterized phages using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and PCR.
Encapsulated phages in 5% sodium alginate using an extrusion method.
Assessed stability under extreme pH, temperature, and simulated gastrointestinal transit.
Encapsulation efficiency exceeded 95%.
Unencapsulated phages were inactivated at pH 2.0 within 10 minutes; encapsulated phages maintained 3.06–3.43 log PFU/mL viability.
Encapsulated phages showed enhanced survival under extreme alkaline conditions and elevated temperatures.
In simulated gastrointestinal transit, encapsulated phages had a recovery of 2.50 log PFU/mL versus ≤1 log PFU/mL for free phages.
Long-term storage confirmed robust stability of encapsulated formulations at 4 °C and 21 °C.