Abstract

In the present study, 123 collective milk samples from 71 cattle and 52 buffaloes suffering from clinical mastitis with no or poor response to treatment with conventional antibiotics were tested for mycotic mastitis using culture and multiplex PCR (m-PCR) methods. The overall positive percentage of Mycotic mastitis was 25.2 and 30.08% using culture and m-PCR respectively. Milk culture revealed 24 isolates of Candida albicans and 7 isolates ofAspergillus fumigatus. PCR succeeded to detect A. fumigatus from two samples and C. albicans out of four samples that were culturally negative. These yeast and fungi isolates were tested for their sensitivity toward different probiotic strains from different sources.Results revealed that Lactobacillus acidophilus isolated from goat colostrums followed byL. acidophilus isolated from mare colostrums showed the best antifungal activities againstC. albicans followed by A. fumigatus, while, Lactobacillus  plantarum and Bacillus subtilishad no effect. These results showed that Mycotic mastitis is an increasing problem due to the wide misuse of antibiotics as mastitis therapy. Antimicrobials should be used in mastitis in a careful way and effort most be encouraged to apply safe substitutes such as probiotics and bioactive natural compounds for prophylactic and therapeutic use.

Key words: Bovines, milk, mycotic mastitis, m-PCR, culture and probiotic.