Impact of Drug-Resistant Foodborne Bacteria on Nutrition and Gut Immunity: Immune Evasion Mechanisms and Bacteriophage-Based Strategies

RimshaAkram¹ , Muhammad Khaleeq alum² , Muhammad Rashid Khan³

Abstract

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant food-borne bacteria is a pressing global health concern, which has a significant impact on human nutrition, gut barrier and immune function. Multidrugresistant bacteria, including Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, pathogenic Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, are increasingly found in the food chain, including in ready-to-eat foods and at the point of sale, enabling exposure to humans. These bacteria have sophisticated mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance that are often co-expressed with virulence factors, facilitating evasion of immune clearance, intracellular survival, biofilm formation and chronic infection. Resistant foodborne pathogens cause gut epithelial cell dysfunction, macronutrient malabsorption, micronutrient dyshomeostasis, and short-chain fatty acid-mediated microbiota suppression, ultimately leading to malnutrition and immune suppression. The Recent research underscores the potential of bacteriophage therapy as an alternative to antibiotics, with targeted killing, biofilm disruption and microbiota preservation. Similarly, nutritional strategies such as fermentable fibres, polyphenols, probiotics and specific nutrients play a role in repairing intestinal barrier integrity and boosting immunity. This review consolidates recent epidemioogical, resistance, immune evasion and bacteriophage therapies, and highlights the importance of nutritional regulation in contributing to the health challenges of drug-resistant food-borne pathogens. The integration of antimicrobial stewardship, targeted phage therapy and nutrition-based strategies offers a viable pathway to overcoming antimicrobial resistance in the post-antibiotic world.