In vitro ability of lactic acid bacteria to inhibit mastitis-causing pathogens

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Ann Christin Diepers
  • Krömker, Volker
  • Claudia Zinke
  • Nicole Wente
  • Liying Pan
  • Kathrin Paulsen
  • Jan Hendrik Paduch

Bovine mastitis is one of the most important diseases in high-yielding dairy herds. Recently, the state-of-the-art treatment of mastitis has been that of antibiotic therapy. Due to increasing antibiotic resistance in pathogens, alternative and sustainable therapeutics have to be sought. Probiotic microorganisms possess such curative capabilities and therefore the aim of the present study was to isolate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which are able to inhibit mastitis-causing pathogens in vitro. 416 isolates of LAB were obtained from 1532 samples (quarter foremilk samples, bulk milk, grass, manure and bedding materials). 367 isolated wild isolates, two reference strains (Lactococcus (Lc.) lactis subsp. lactis ATCC 11454, Lactobacillus (Lb.) rhamnosus ATCC 7469) and six combinations were screened with agar well diffusion assay for their ability to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus, S. epidermidis, S. xylosus, Streptococcus (Sc.) uberis, Sc. agalactiae and Escherichia (E.) coli. 170 wild isolates inhibited the growth of Sc. uberis, 78 S. epidermidis, 37 S. aureus, 36 S. xylosus, 14 E. coli and 13 Sc. agalactiae, respectively. Only the combination of the wild strains 78/37 (Lb. paracasei), 118/37 (Lb. plantarum) and the reference strains inhibited the growth of all six indicator pathogens. These four strains were further capable of growing in milk as a substrate and of adhering to teat canal epithelium cells in vitro. It can be concluded that lactic acid bacteria may have the potential to be used as probiotics to prevent and to treat bovine intramammary infections in a more sustainable way in future.

Original languageEnglish
JournalSustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy
Volume5
Pages (from-to)84-92
Number of pages9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2017
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Antagonistic substances, Bovine mastitis, Isolation of microorganisms, Lactic acid bacteria, Probiotic properties

ID: 237093944