Objective: The purpose of this study was to isolate and identification fungi from
the samples of cows milk with mastitis, the samples were collected during the
period between February- April 2009 in the Abu-Ghraib zone.
Material: In the present study a 100 samples of mastitis cows milk was
collected.
Results: Eighty samples (80%) were showed positive fungal infections, of
which 78.75% (63 samples) was yeast and 21.25% (17 samples) was molds.
The main strains which were isolated and responsible about high percentage of
infection were the followings, Candida albicans25%.
Geotrichumcandidum20%, Rhizopusspp.17.5%, and other species which
include, Candidaspp.11.25%, Sacchromycescerevisiae11.25%, Candida
tropicalis7.5%, Cryptococcus neoformans2.5%, Penicillium spp. 2.5%,
Rodotorula spp. 1.25% and Aspergillus terreus1.25%, while 20 samples
showed a negative results.
Rosemary ethanolic extract showed a different antifungal activity aginst the
main strains of isolates (C.albicans, Sacch. cerevisiae, Geot. candidum,
Asp.terreus, and Rhizopusspp). There was an inhibition zone of using
extract in a concentration of 200mg/ml on the growth of C.albicans, Geot.
candidumand Sacch. cerevisiae, while a concentration of l00mg/ml of the
extract was effective only against Sacch.cerevisiae. The extract showed
antifungal activity against the growth of Asp. terreusin all concentrations,
with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of l0mg/ml, in contrast, the
extract had no effect on the growth of Rhizopusspp. in low concentration (10,
20 mg/ml) and only a concentration of 40, 80 mg/ml showed a minimal effect
compared with the antifungal drug (Clotrimazole).
Conclusion: The presence of yeasts and molds in cows milk indicate that the
mycotic mastitis may be occurred in association with bacterial mastitis.
Rosemary ethanolic extract had an antifungal activity most probably due to the
presence of some compounds (α-Pinene, Bornyl acetate, Camphor and 1,8-
Cineole) that responsible about this property. |