Alternative Approach in the Management of Bovine Mastitis
Dr. Ramesh Jagtap and Dr. D J Kalita
Corresponding author: Dr. Ramesh Jagtap; Zenex Animal Health India Pvt. Ltd.,
Ahmedabad, India (Email: rameshjagtap@zenexah.com)
Introduction
Mastitis is multi-etiological disease complex of dairy animals that is characterized by physical, chemical and usually bacteriological changes in milk and pathological changes in glandular tissues (Radostits et al., 2000). High milk producing especially cross-bred cows are most prone to mastitis and prevalence range from 5 to 37 % (Bangar et al., 2016). Certain epidemiological studies report more than 90% prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis in high yielder cross bred dairy cows (Sharma, N., 2003). Both clinical and subclinical mastitis causes huge loss of milk production apart from the cost of treatment and other expenses. Besides, various studies revealed that both clinical and sub-clinical mastitis affect the reproductive efficiency of animals at several levels. Antimicrobials are extensively used as an integral part of mastitis treatment and management program.
The antimicrobial therapy helps in minimizing the losses and recovery. However, despite the wide spread use of these drugs, antimicrobial treatment of mastitis has been found to be less effective than desirable; the problem in dairy animals continued to pose great challenge. Factors like pharmacokinetic problems, phagocytosis depressing effect of certain antibiotics, drug resistance and appearance of residue in milk restricts the success of antibiotic therapy. There has been growing consensus to focus on alternative approach for enhancing immunity and udder health. A variety of non-antibiotic, non-proprietary agents have demonstrated promising effects in the treatment & prevention of mastitis in dairy animals.
Trisodium citrate
It’s proven that citrate play vital role in milk synthesis and certain level of citrate is essential for lactogenesis in each alveolus in the udder. Although, many investigators reported that citrate content in milk vary during lactation, the level is around 130–160mg /100 ml of milk in cow and goat milk, which can go as high as 46 times around parturition. This elucidates its importance in milk synthesis and also, it’s likely association with mastitis in dairy animals. Further, it is frequently observed that citrate is significantly low in milk of mastitis infected animals, particularly it is very low in milk of mastitis affected quarters of udder (33.71mg/ 100ml).
It is well known that milk quality is diminished in clinical as well as in sub-clinical mastitis. As certain minimal citrate is required by each alveolus for synthesis of milk, the udder quarters affected with mastitis result in faulty synthesis of milk, which is mainly due to inconsistency in the citrate content The citrate deficiency in the particular affected quarter may be due to metabolic factors, nutritional or some other intrinsic factors.
The pH of udder of dairy animals is critical for optimal lactogenesis, to carry out important physiological processes. Citrate is the main constituent of the buffer system responsible for the maintenance of pH (~6.50) in the udder and regulates the homeostasis between Ca and H ions which maintains fluidity of milk. Further, changes in pH, usually high pH is conducive for invasion and proliferation of pathogens, and thus implicated into sub-clinical or clinical mastitis. As alteration of pH and thus compromised udder physiology led to clumping of Ca ions which manifest as flakes in the mastitic milk. These flakes of Ca ions likely injure the parenchymatous tissue in the udder alveoli that aggravate the inflammatory reaction and damage udder tissues. Optimum level of citrates may prevent clumping of Ca ions and thus can moderate the tissue injury in the udder.
Oral administration of citrate as feed supplement, mostly in the form of Trisodium citrate proved to be very beneficial, cost-effective approach for prevention and control of mastitis (Rai et al., 2013). Feeding citrate orally to the mastitic animals led to an increase in milk citrate levels and helped in improving clinical condition of animals (Renu et al., 2016). It is also reported that Tri-sodium citrate administration improve milk quality and increase fat, S.N.F, Protein and milk yield over the respective values in mastitic milk (Prakash et al., 2013).
Vitamins
During transition period, dairy cows and buffaloes are likely to be in negative energy balance, which correlate with higher risk of ketosis. Further, clinical ketosis is associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of clinical mastitis. Thus, during transition period, and especially after calving, availability of vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin- H can improve udder health and helps in prevention and control of mastitis.
Vitamin E is known potent biological antioxidant and a free radical scavenger. Considering this, vitamin E also perform important functions in various systems namely, muscular, nervous, circulatory, reproductive and immune system. Certain studies demonstrated that cows with low plasma vitamin E levels before calving are 9 times more prone to clinical mastitis compared to acceptable blood levels. NRC (2001) recommends higher dietary vitamin E levels for transition and lactating cows to maintain the minimum plasma vitamin E concentration for optimum immune response. Such replenishment of blood levels could boost phagocytic neutrophil reactions for control of pathogenic invading microbes in the udder.
Vitamin A is known for its anti-infective role and thus protect animals against numerous infections, including mastitis. Low concentrations of plasma vitamin A (<80 μg/100 ml) and β-carotene (<200 μg/100 ml) are associated with severity of mastitis. These can exert a stabilizing effect on polymorphonuclear neutrophils and lymphocyte function in the udder. Vitamin A or B-carotene supplementation of dairy cows may improve mammary gland host defense and may have some positive effects on mammary gland health.
Vitamin C is involved in a number of biochemical processes (oxido-reduction). It stimulates phagocytic activity of leukocytes, function of the reticuloendothelial system and formation of antibodies. In clinical & sub clinical mastitis, serum level of ascorbic acid (Vit. C) is significantly reduced (Ranjan et al., 2005). It has been suggested that clinical severity of mastitis is directly associated with reduced vitamin C levels. Dietary vitamin C reduced the milk somatic cell count; also provided some potential benefit for recovery from acute mammary inflammation in dairy cattle. Vitamin C is found to be helpful in healing of tissues from injury by contributing the synthesis of collagen through hydroxylation, which depends on ascorbate-dependent enzyme required for recovery. In addition, Vit C has immuno-modulatory and anti-oxidant effects which may also play vital role in recovery process.
Vitamin H or Biotin is specially required for production of keratin and the epidermal tissues of hoof-horn. It may also involve in the keratin synthesis and integrity of teat canal of udder of dairy animals and can play important role in prevention of invasion by pathogens and thus prevention of mastitis. Biotin also has other important metabolic effects that could influence milk production, as it acts as cofactor of three different enzymes needed for synthesis of glucose and one required for synthesis of fatty acids. The multiple research reports show that biotin supplementation can improve lactation performance. Biotin supplementation at 10 mg/d increased milk yield by 1.5 kg per cow (Bonomi et al.1996).
Vitamin D: Higher levels of Vitamin D is required for proper immune function. It is reported that significant reduction occurs in bacterial counts and fewer clinical signs of severe infection in cows treated with vitamin D, compared to cows that received no treatment. In the early stage of the infection, as vitamin D reduced the bacterial counts, milk production was also greater in the treated animals.
Trace minerals
Trace minerals especially, Zinc and Selenium preferentially supplemented for the management of subclinical and clinical mastitis. The multiple properties and roles of these essential trace elements, directly and indirectly involved in stimulation and building strong immunity and restoration of physiology of the udder, prevent post-parturient complications like retention of placental membranes, pyometra, metritis and most importantly, prevention and control of mastitis.
Zinc plays vital role in many important body functions of dairy animals which include cell growth and replication, bone formation, skin integrity, cell- mediated immunity, and generalized host defense (Gropper et al. 2005). Zinc is crucial in various cellular processes through involvement in gene expression and cellular growth. Zinc is necessary to maintain the integrity of the keratin that lines the streak canal and also its Supplementation reduce somatic cell count up to 33% (Suan and Robert, 2009). Further, Tomlinson et al. (2002) reported the significant reduction of SCC to 196,000 vs. 294,000, when Zinc was supplemented between 200 and 380 mg/day. Zinc is proven immunity stimulant or enhancer as its deficiency likely led to reduced formation of both T and B lymphocytes and phagocytes (Sherman, 1992).
Selenium is essential for many body functions, as a component of more than 30 selenoproteins. These selenoproteins protect tissues from damage inflicted by unstable free radicals, which can cause many chronic diseases, including chronic mastitis and udder fibrosis. Besides this, selenoproteins perform key role in thyroid hormones metabolism, control of reproductive functions and exert neuroprotective effects. In addition to its anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties, selenium stimulates the immune system. The role of selenium is aided by vitamin E and sulfur-containing amino acids. Selenium and vitamin E facilitate neutrophil migration to the mammary gland, and they enhance the bactericidal effects of neutrophils, thus shortening and alleviating the symptoms of clinical mastitis.
Copper is another important micro-mineral that confers robust antioxidant properties. It is the key component of super oxide dismutase (SOD) and ceruloplasmin and thus exerts beneficial effect in mastitis treatment and control. It has been reported that supplementation with Cu alleviated the severity of clinical signs in coliform mastitis (Scaletti et al., 2003).
Serratiopeptidase is a proteolytic enzyme that reduces edema, stimulates immunity, and has anti-inflammatory action. It can increase bio-availability of anti-microbals at infection sire, act as an inhibitor of biofilm formation and thus can help to counteract the resistance to anti-microbials.
Therefore, supplementation of zinc, selenium and Serratiopeptidase can certainly help to repair tissue damage caused by physical injury or inflicted by invading pathogens in the udder.
Potent Herbs
Many herbal ingredients or extracts claim to be beneficial in prevention and treatment of mastitis in dairy cows and buffaloes. Medicinal plants with their well-established effect are an excellent natural product resource used as an alternative therapy. Some of such plants or herbs are Curcuma longa, Boswellia serreta, Piper nigrum, Withania Somnifera, etc.
Curcuma longa is rich in dietary fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. Curcumin present in it, can reduce swelling, pain and inflammation. Its therapeutic properties are well proven, mostly its immunity boosting and anti-oxidant properties. Apart from this, it act as natural antiseptic and has antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and wound healing properties. Hence feeding turmeric can prevent the incidence of mastitis in dairy animals.
Boswellia serreta has potent antiinflammatory, antiarthritic, and analgesic properties. These potent properties can certainly help for prevention and or for early recovery from the painful mastitis in dairy animals.
Piper nigrum which is commonly called as black pepper, is high in antioxidants and also has anti-inflammatory properties. It is proven that, in mastitis, free radicals damage alveolar cells and aggravate inflammatory reaction in the udder of dairy animals. Potent antioxidants herbs are very essential to prevent or recover from mastitis and also beneficial in building immunity against the invading pathogens.
Withania somnifera, commonly known as Ashwagandha or Indian ginseng. It is an important commercial medicinal crop and its various parts are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments. Among the many, its important properties include, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, anti-microbial, antioxidant, etc.
Conclusion:
Therapeutic intervention is an integral part of a control program for bovine mastitis. Treatment regimen of mastitis should be aimed at eliminating invading pathogens or assist host defense mechanism to combat with the infection and to minimize the pathological consequences of infection. Few non-proprietary ingredients are found to be beneficial in the control and prevention of mastitis. Many studies reveal that citrate is playing a vital role in milk synthesis and it is the main constituent of the buffer system responsible for the maintenance of pH in the udder. Citrate levels are found to be very low in milk of quarters affected with mastitis. Deficiency of citrate in udder leads to the clumping of Ca ions; the flakes of Ca ions also cause injury to udder alveoli. Bringing the pH to acidic creates unfavourable environment for the growth of mastitis pathogens; also render antibiotics more effective. Trisodium citrate helps to reduce the milk pH and thereby helps in clearance of udder infection. Vitamin E supplements in dairy cows boost immune response and enhance the neutrophil function. Vitamin E combined with selenium, acts as anti-oxidant by preventing oxidative stress. Vitamin A & H contributes mucosal surface integrity of the mammary gland. Vitamin C helps in faster recovery from injury by contributing the synthesis of collagen through hydroxylation. Zinc and copper are important nutritional elements that contribute mammary gland health by promoting cellular repair, wound healing and reduction in SCC aided by increasing metallothionein synthesis with antioxidant potential. Some of the herbal ingredients also possess immunomodulating & tissue healing effect to fight against mammy gland infection. Therefore, supplementation of Trisodium citrate combined with Vitamin A, E, C, H, essential micro-minerals like Zn & Cu and potent herbs results in significant reduction of mastitis, decrease in milk pH, quarter based infection, milk somatic cell counts and increment in milk quality and quantity.
Note: References can be made available on request
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