A Bacteriophage Cocktail Significantly Reduces without Deleterious Impact on the Commensal Gut Microbiota under Simulated Gastrointestinal Conditions.

In this study, we examined the effect of a bacteriophage cocktail (tentatively designated as the Foodborne Outbreak Pill (FOP)) on the levels of in simulated small intestine, large intestine, and Caco-2 model systems. We found that FOP survival during simulated passage of the upper gastrointestinal was dependent on stomach pH, and that FOP robustly inhibited levels with effectiveness comparable to antibiotic treatment (ampicillin) under simulated ilium and colon conditions. The FOP did not inhibit the commensal bacteria, whereas ampicillin treatment led to dysbiosis-like conditions.