Genomic characterization of five novel<i> Salmonella</i> phages and the assessment of their biocontrol potential for the preservation of chicken meat

The rise of multidrug-resistant Salmonella poses a significant threat to food safety and public health, necessitating novel antimicrobial strategies. The primary objective of this study was to characterize novel bacteriophages and assess their biocontrol potential against predominant Salmonella serotypes. A total of 84 lytic bacteriophages specific to various Salmonella enterica serotypes were isolated from wastewater sources across T & uuml;rkiye. Five phages (S.Hadar 4-5-1, S.Inf 5-2, S.Typ Adana, S.Ent 1-35-3, and S.Kent 1-2-1) demonstrating broad lytic activity to tested major serotypes (S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Infantis, S. Kentucky, S. Newport, S. Hadar, S. Gallinarum and S. Pullorum) and genetic diversity were selected for detailed phenotypic and genomic analysis. These phages, four from Siphoviridae and one from Podoviridae, exhibited tolerance to thermal (up to 60 degrees C) and mildly acidic conditions (pH 4), as well as 12-month stability when stored in Tris-Buffered Saline (TBS) with 20 % (v/v) glycerol at -20 degrees C and - 80 degrees C. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed their novelty and the absence of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. A cocktail formulated from these phages was applied against Salmonella Enteritidis both in-vitro (at 37 degrees C) and on artificially contaminated chicken wings (at 4 degrees C). The phage cocktail effectively reduced Salmonella counts in both environments, keeping levels below the detection limit (< 1 log CFU/g) over 24 h. For chicken wings food model, bacterial reductions reached 3.30 log CFU/g and 4.86 log CFU/g. These results underscore the potential of the newly characterized Salmonella phages as effective tools for controlling bacterial contamination on chicken meat, supporting their use as a natural, and antibiotic-free strategy in modern food safety management.