In Vitro Efficacy of Extracts From Plants Used by Small-Holder Farmers in the Treatment of Dermatophilosis in Cattle

Abstract

Background: Bovine dermatophilosis, an important skin disease of cattle caused by Dermatophilus congolensis, negatively impacts the livelihoods of small-holder farmers in Zimbabwe. This impact is through, morbidity, loss of draught animal power, costs incurred to manage the disease, losses associated with devalued damaged hides and the resultant culling of some of the affected cattle. Due to the inaccessibility of conventional drugs to manage bovine dermatophilosis, farmers have been reported to use local medicinal plants to manage the disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activities of three plants that small-holder farmers in Zimbabwe used to manage bovine dermatophilosis. Methods: Dried plant materials were ground into powder and extracted individually using, water, 80 % acetone and 80 % methanol. The antimicrobial properties of the plants were evaluated against two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and one Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) reference bacterial strains. They were further evaluated against a field isolate of Dermatophilus congolensis. The assays used were the disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Results: Acetone and methanol extracts had superior inhibitory activities than did those of water. Pterocarpus angolensis DC extracts had better inhibitory properties with absolute MIC values of 0.156 -5 mg/ml, Cissus Quadrangularis L had MIC values in the range 0.156 -5 mg/ml while that of Catunaregam spinosa Thunb, Terveng was 0.156 -10 mg/ml. Dermatophilus congolensis was more sensitive to Pterocarpus angolensis DC average MIC = 0.63 mg/ml than to Cissus quadrangularis L average MIC = 1.25 mg/ml and Catunaregam. spinosa Thunb, Terveng average MIC = 2.08 mg/ml. Conclusion: These results suggest the potential antibacterial activities of extracts of the three plants and hence farmers are, in a way, justified in using the plants. Better results (lower MIC) could be obtained by extracting and evaluating pure active compounds of the plants.

Immunobiological aspects of cow lactation

“…we have shown that fluctuations in the parameters of specific immunobiological protection occur throughout the period of lactogenesis. similar studies were obtained in studies (Singh et al, 2011;Thompson-Crispi et al, 2014;Ndhlovu & Masika, 2017;Sato et al, 2017;Powell et al, 2018;Piñeiro et al, 2019). We have shown that during lactation in the body of cows, both quantitative changes in the population of immunocompetent cells and changes in their functional activity occur (Zhelavskyi & Shunin, 2017;Zhelavskyi, 2017;Zhelavskyi et al, 2019).…”

Changes in cellular factors of local immunity udder of cows with mastitis

“…Significant difficulties were the definition of subclinical mastitis in the early period of lactation. The study of colostrum and secretion of the mammary gland in the final period of lactation (Zhelavskyi, 2007;Yablonskyi and Zhelavskyi, 2009;Ndhlovu et al, 2017).…”

Immunobiological status of the body of cows during mastitis

“…Cellular and humoral immune defense factors that underlie the body's immune homeostasis reflect the state of regulatory and effector mechanisms of immune defense (Yablonskyi and Zhelavskyi, 2008;Blum et al, 2015;Kempf et al, 2016;Lombardini et al, 2017;Ndhlovu and Masika, 2017;Cao et al, 2018). The studies carried out in this direction have shown that the parameters of immune homeostasis change in the pathogenesis of mastitis.…”