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Role of phage-antibiotic combination in reducing antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

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Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of phage-antibiotic synergy in reducing antibiotic resistance. The initial numbers of Staphylococcus aureus treated with ciprofloxacin, phages, and combination were significantly reduced by 3.47, 4.62, and 5.75 log CFU/mL, respectively, at the early 12 h of incubation. The combination treatment most effectively inhibited the growth of S. aureus, showing more than 4 log reduction in 18 h of incubation at 37°C. The significant reduction in biofilm formation by S. aureus was observed at the combination treatment (3.91 log). Ciprofloxacin-treated S. aureus cells became resistant to both ciprofloxacin and phage, showing the mutant frequencies of 27% and 25%, respectively, whereas no antibiotic- and phage-resistant S. aureus cells were observed at the combined treatment of ciprofloxacin and phages. These results provide useful information for reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance in human and food animals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering and Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon, 24341, Korea

    Ara Jo, Jeongjin Kim & Juhee Ahn

  2. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Agro-Food Processing, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China

    Tian Ding

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  1. Ara Jo
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  2. Jeongjin Kim
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  3. Tian Ding
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  4. Juhee Ahn
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Correspondence to Juhee Ahn.

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Jo, A., Kim, J., Ding, T. et al. Role of phage-antibiotic combination in reducing antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus . Food Sci Biotechnol 25, 1211–1215 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-016-0192-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-016-0192-6

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