Efficacy of bacteriocin-based formula for reducing staphylococci, streptococci, and total bacterial counts on teat skin of dairy cows

The use of teat dips is one of the most effective strategies to control mastitis by preventing new intra-mammary infections. Reducing bacterial load on teat skin helps control the spread of pathogens and spoilage and improves the quality of milk. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reduction of bacterial populations through the application of bacteriocin-based teat formulas. Teats of 12 Holstein cows received 2 different concentrations of bactofencin A, nisin, and reuterin alone or in combination, as well as iodine (positive control) and saline (negative control). Teat swabs were collected before and after application of teat formulas and analyzed for staphylococci, streptococci, and total bacteria counts. There were no differences for staphylococci, streptococci, and total bacterial counts for samples collected before application throughout the entire experiment. Reuterin-low and reuterin-high treatments reduced total bacterial count by 0.47 and 0.36 logs, respectively, whereas bactofencin A had no effect on any tested bacterial groups. Nisin-low treatment reduced staphylococci, streptococci, and total bacterial counts by 0.47, 0.30 and 0.50 logs, respectively. Nisin-high treatment resulted in 0.50, 0.50, and 0.47 log reduction for staphylococci, streptococci, and total bacterial counts. The bacteriocin consortium showed the highest reduction rates with 0.91, 0.54, and 0.90 log reductions obtained for staphylococci, streptococci, and total bacteria counts, respectively, for the low-concentration consortium. Similarly, the high-concentration consortium showed reduction rates with 0.95, 0.60, and 0.82 log reductions obtained for staphylococci, streptococci, and total bacteria counts, respectively. Thus, nisin and the bacteriocin consortium showed the most promise as a teat disinfectant by reducing staphylococci, streptococci, and total bacteria counts.