Therapeutic evaluation of ozonated sunflower oil from a continuous application protocol, for the control of ovine mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus: an in vitro experimental study

Abstract

Mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary gland responsible for irreversible changes of the glandular tissue of animals that causes partial or total damage to the udder of animals, preventing their recovery and normal function. It is one of the most common diseases in small ruminants, which affects milk production and causes significant economic losses in the livestock sector, among others due to the high cost of conventional antibiotic treatments. The present study aims to compare the therapeutic potency by assessing the antimicrobial activity of ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) by applying different concentrations of peroxide (600 IP, 800 IP and 1200 IP), against S. aureus in sheep's milk. In this way, it is intended to find a potentially antibacterial treatment that serves as an alternative to antibiotics, thus reducing treatment costs and increasing antimicrobial resistance. After obtaining the results we found that after 24 hours there is no significant difference with respect to the end of the study at 72 hours between the different concentrations of OSO applied. Even so, the final effect with respect to the control milk sample was greater with OSO 800 (p<0.001) and OSO 1200 (p<0.001) with no significant difference between the two. In conclusion, ozonated sunflower oil offers good therapeutic possibilities as an antibacterial treatment, being able to reduce the use of antibiotics, and consequently antimicrobial resistance, as well as serving as a preventive treatment of mastitis in sheep.