Efikasnost intramamarne primene preparata na bazi etarskih ulja u terapiji mastitisa krava

Mastitis is one of the most widespread diseases among farm animals and is considered one of the most severe and economically significant infections worldwide. It can present in both subclinical and clinical forms. Subclinical mastitis, whose symptoms are not observable, has significant economic consequences due to its higher prevalence and long-term impact on milk production. The irrational use of antibiotics in the treatment of mastitis poses a substantial global problem due to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Increasingly, research is focused on developing alternative therapies to address the issue of AMR. The use of essential oils (EOs) offers several advantages over antibiotics, such as non-toxicity, biodegradability, a broader spectrum of pharmacological activities, lack of resistance development, and absence of residues in animal-derived products that pose health risks to humans. Given the importance of cow mastitis and the growing challenges in treating this disease, the main goal of this study was to investigate the preclinical and clinical efficacy of a pharmaceutical formulation based on essential oils (Phyto-Bomat) as an alternative therapy to existing antibiotic treatments. The preclinical investigation included the analysis of the chemical composition and antioxidant potential of PhytoBomat, as well as its antibacterial activity against the most significant causative agents of bovine mastitis. The clinical trial involved three groups of cows treated with different therapeutic protocols (antibiotic, antibiotic + Phyto-Bomat, and Phyto-Bomat alone), monitoring clinical and bacteriological cure rates. The developed pharmaceutical formulation contains four different types of EOs (common thyme, wild thyme, oregano, and mountain savory), including a mixture of two plant oils (common marigold and St. John's wort) as its base. The pharmaceutical formulation for intramammary application was developed by optimizing the concentration of its components (EOs, plant oils, and plant oil extracts). The selected EOs demonstrated antibacterial effects on all tested isolates, as confirmed by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.39 to 6.25 mg/mL and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranging from 0.78 to 12.5 mg/mL. The clinical efficacy of Phyto-Bomat was confirmed by the alleviation of mastitis symptoms without the risk of udder tissue damage. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in the total number of bacteria and the number of somatic cells in milk samples before therapy, one day after, and seven days after therapy, depending on the type of therapy and form of mastitis. Antibiotic therapy led to a significant reduction in the number of bacteria and somatic cells in both subclinical and clinical mastitis. Therapy with Phyto-Bomat and the combination of PhytoBomat and antibiotic showed variable results in reducing the number of bacteria but significantly reduced the number of somatic cells in clinical mastitis seven days post-therapy. The concentrations of thymol and carvacrol in the milk and blood plasma of treated animals reached the levels recorded before the therapy, 24 hours after administration. These results provide a foundation for further research and potential application in veterinary practice for the treatment of mastitis, especially the subclinical form, as an independent or supportive therapy