ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGI FROM INFECTED MILK SAMPLES OBTAINED FROM CATTLES WITH MASTITIS AND STUDING THE ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ROSEMARY ETHANOLIC EXTRACT AGAINST THE MAIN STRAINS .

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to isolate and identification fungi from the samples of cows milk with mastitis, the samples were collected during the period between February- April 2009 in the Abu-Ghraib zone. Material: In the present study a 100 samples of mastitis cows milk was collected. Results: Eighty samples (80%) were showed positive fungal infections, of which 78.75% (63 samples) was yeast and 21.25% (17 samples) was molds. The main strains which were isolated and responsible about high percentage of infection were the followings, Candida albicans25%. Geotrichumcandidum20%, Rhizopusspp.17.5%, and other species which include, Candidaspp.11.25%, Sacchromycescerevisiae11.25%, Candida tropicalis7.5%, Cryptococcus neoformans2.5%, Penicillium spp. 2.5%, Rodotorula spp. 1.25% and Aspergillus terreus1.25%, while 20 samples showed a negative results. Rosemary ethanolic extract showed a different antifungal activity aginst the main strains of isolates (C.albicans, Sacch. cerevisiae, Geot. candidum, Asp.terreus, and Rhizopusspp). There was an inhibition zone of using extract in a concentration of 200mg/ml on the growth of C.albicans, Geot. candidumand Sacch. cerevisiae, while a concentration of l00mg/ml of the extract was effective only against Sacch.cerevisiae. The extract showed antifungal activity against the growth of Asp. terreusin all concentrations, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of l0mg/ml, in contrast, the extract had no effect on the growth of Rhizopusspp. in low concentration (10, 20 mg/ml) and only a concentration of 40, 80 mg/ml showed a minimal effect compared with the antifungal drug (Clotrimazole). Conclusion: The presence of yeasts and molds in cows milk indicate that the mycotic mastitis may be occurred in association with bacterial mastitis. Rosemary ethanolic extract had an antifungal activity most probably due to the presence of some compounds (α-Pinene, Bornyl acetate, Camphor and 1,8- Cineole) that responsible about this property.