Impact of a Novel Homeopathic Complex Medicine on the Management of Multiple Antibiotic-Resistant Bovine Mastitis: An Open-Label, Non-Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Bovine mastitis is characterized by an inflammatory process in the mammary gland and represents one of the main diseases affecting a dairy herd. Management of mastitis is most commonly via antibiotics, but the rising incidence of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) means that additional options are needed. Homeopathic products can be administered in dairy farming for a range of clinical reasons and may be preferential due to the absence of residues. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the potential of a novel homeopathic complex medicine in managing bovine mastitis. METHODS: Twenty-four lactating Holstein cows with mastitis were divided into two groups: the homeopathic complex group received a homeopathic complex daily for 60 days at a dose of 20 g/d; the placebo group received the calcium carbonate vehicle without homeopathic medicines at the same dose and repetition. The main outcome measure was somatic cell count (SCC; cells/mL), with additional outcome measures including milk production (kg/d), milk constituents (percentage of protein, fat, lactose and total milk solids), and serum levels of cortisol, glucose, ammonia and lactic acid. All outcomes were measured at the beginning of the study and after 30 and 60 days. Milk samples were also collected from all animals at the beginning of the study, confirming a high (>0.2) MAR index for isolated bacterial cultures. RESULTS: Assessment of SCC showed a statistically significant difference favoring the homeopathic complex versus placebo group at day 60. A reduction in serum cortisol levels and an increase in fat, lactose and total milk solids in animals treated with the homeopathic complex at day 60 were also seen. Other outcome measures did not show statistically significant inter-group differences. CONCLUSION: The results of this non-randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled trial suggest the potential for a novel homeopathic complex medicine in management of multiple antibiotic-resistant bovine mastitis, thus offering dairy farmers an additional option to antibiotics and making dairy products safer for consumer health and milk production more sustainable.

Persistence of Staphylococcus spp. in milk from cows undergoing homeopathy to control subclinical mastitis.

BACKGROUND: Mastitis is one of the major diseases in dairy cattle, as it causes great economic losses to producers due to the reduction of milk production and changes in the quality of the product. The disease is mainly caused by bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus spp., these microorganisms can express various virulence factors, such as biofilms for example. In herds with organic management, producers and technicians use unconventional ways to treat and control the disease, such as homeopathy. However, it is not known if this type of treatment is able to control pathogenic bacteria such as those of the genus Staphylococcus, of relevance to animal and human health. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the production of biofilm in vitro and its genes by Staphylococcus spp. isolated in the milk of cows treated with homeopathy, as well as the persistence of microorganisms in animals. METHODS: Ninety-nine isolates of Staphylococcus spp. from cows treated and not treated with homeopathy were identified by internal transcribed space-polymerase chain reaction and investigated for the presence of the icaABCD, bap, aap, atlE, and bhp genes and in vitro biofilm production using the adhesion method on polystyrene plates. The enzyme restriction profile was determined by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis. Clusters of S. aureus and S. epidermidis with three or more isolates had an isolate selected for Multilocus Sequence Typing. RESULTS: The frequency of S. aureus isolations was similar in treated and untreated cows, while 71.4% of the coagulase-negative identified were isolated in cows treated with homeopathy. The distribution of the operon ica genes was similar in animals with and without treatment, except for the icaD gene, more frequent in treated cows. Production of biofilm was associated with presence of one or more genes from the icaADBC operon. S. aureus revealed a greater diversity and greater dissemination in cows treated and not treated with homeopathy. Sequence Types ST1, ST5, and ST126 were identified in S. aureus. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of biofilm-associated genes and the in vitro production of biofilms, combined with the persistence of clonal profiles of Staphylococcus spp. demonstrate other forms of control for bovine mastitis should be researched for organic production herds.

[Herbalogical study of Colla Corii Asini(Ejiao)].

Colla Corii Asini(Ejiao)is an important Chinese medicine used in China for thousands of years, and is well known for its famous tonic properties. The herbalogical study was detailed carried out based on the naming, habitat, harvesting, processing, medicinal properties and clinical efficacy. The results showed that the name of Ejiao could be traced back to Shennong's Materia Medica, and various names of Lvpi Jiao, Penfu Jiao and Fuzhi Jiao were recorded in other ancient books. In the many intervening centuries, the main materials of Ejiao had been replaced from cow leather before Tang Dynasty to donkey skin in the middle to late Tang Dynasty. This phenomenon could be probably caused by complicated social factors of various periods and different efficacy of Ejiao made by all kinds of raw materials. Ejiao was merely processed with the simple methods before Tang Dynasty, which subsequently improved avariety of methods to enhance the supplementation action. Most importantly, Ejiao has a wide clinic application along with the development of processing theories and methods, which can be found in various Classics, especially in imperial medical case record in Qing Dynasty.

[DNA fingerprinting identification of bile power(bile)medicines].

The pig bile powder, bovine bile powder, snake bile, sheep bile, goose bile powder, and bear bile powder were contained by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The bile power medicine has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine and definite effect. However, the medicine of bile powder(bile) are similar in morphology. Besides, many medicine lack specific microscopic identification characteristics and chemical characteristics. There is a risk of adulteration, especially when the fake medicine were mixed in authentic medicine, it is difficult to detection. The key to control the quality and ensures the clinical efficacy is the good or bad, true or false of the bile power medicine. The STR typing technology is a method that according to differential typing of PCR amplified lengths to compare and identify individual organisms. Based on the principle of STR typing, the easily, rapid DNA fingerprinting method to identify the bile power and adulteration was established.The original animal or bile powder of pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, snakes, bears, fish were collected, the 12 S-L1091/12 S-H1478 and 16 S-L3428/16 S-H3667 was obtained by sifted, the DNA fingerprinting of the bile power and adulteration was obtained by STR typing. Every species has different STR fingerprints, so different species can be identified. Besides, the fingerprints have both the authentic and fake's information, the adulteration of authentic and fake can be identified. Therefore, the method to identify the bile power and adulteration was achieved through the combination of two primers. The DNA fingerprinting method established in this study can also be used for other animal medicine.

Homeopathic treatment as an alternative prophylactic to minimize bacterial infection and prevent neonatal diarrhea in calves.

Bovine neonatal diarrhea is common due low immunity in newborn calves, poor management (or absence) of sanitary barriers, and other factors. Newborn calves with diarrhea in the first days of life suffer failure to thrive and may die if left untreated. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether prophylactic administration of a homeopathic product (Dia 100®) can control bovine neonatal diarrhea in calves born on a farm with substantial sanitary challenges. We counted total bacteria and protozoan parasites in fecal samples. We measured serum glucose, total protein, globulin, albumin, cholesterol and triglycerides on days 1, 7 and 14 of life. Twenty newborn calves were maintained in individual stalls, and were divided in two groups: ten untreated animals (control) and ten animals treated with Dia 100®. Fecal consistency was evaluated daily. We diagnosed diarrhea in five animals in the treated group, and in all animals from the control group. Infections with Escherichia coli and Giardia duodenalis were identified as the responsible organisms. The E. coli count was low in the treatment group on day 7 of life compared with the control group. Antibiotics were given to eight animals in the control group, and to two animals in the treatment group. On day of life 7, serum levels of total protein and globulins were higher in the control group, but were lower on day 14. Serum levels of glucose and triglycerides were greater in treated animals on days 7 and 14, suggesting that the homeopathic product contributes to improvement of intestinal health and absorption and nutrients. We conclude that Dia 100® controls diarrhea with 50% of efficacy, and reduces antibiotic utilization.

[Milk production without use of -antibiotics]. / Deskriptive Studie zur antibiotikafreien Milchproduktion beim Rind.

INTRODUCTION: At present, the usage of antimicrobial agents in organic dairy farming is a subject of controversial public debate because of its impact on animals, humans and the environment. This study shows how farms can be successfully managed without using antimicrobials for udder diseases. Thereby, animal welfare and targeted low bulk tank somatic cell counts should not be neglected. The operating data analysed in this study was collected during feeding and milking time on 18 swiss dairy farms that have not been treating diseased udders with antibiotics for at least 3 years. This study is a cross-sectional study. Farmers put the focus on breed characteristics such as a high life performance, low bulk tank somatic cell counts over several lactations, animals with a calm character, and small-formed cows with a deep flank. A trend towards dual-purpose breeds was observed. Few persons were involved in the milking process. Moreover, 94% of the farmers were raising their own young cattle directly on the farm. Consequently, animal transport has been minimized. Furthermore, clear management practices and work processes as well as a good animal observation influenced decisively the production success. additionally some farmers used phytotherapy, homeopathy and tried and true home remedies.

INTRODUCTION: Dans l'élevage laitier, les médicaments vétérinaires contenant des antibiotiques susceptibles d'avoir un effet sur l'homme, l'animal et l'environnement sont un sujet discuté de façon controversée dans le grand public. La présente étude veut démontrer comment fonctionnent des exploitations qui n'utilisent pas de préparations antibiotiques intra-mammaires. Cela doit se passer sans que ni le bien-être des animaux ni un nombre de cellules bas dans le lait ne soient affectés. Les données utilisées pour ce travail ont été collectées pendant l'affouragement et la traite sur 18 exploitations suisses qui, dans les 3 années précédentes, n'avaient pas utilisé d'antibiotiques au niveau de la mamelle. Il s'agit ici d'une étude transversale qui présente les prévalences. Les producteurs s'intéressent à des caractéristiques d'élevage tels que la production totale sur la durée de vie de l'animal, un nombre de cellules bas au cours de plusieurs lactations, un caractère paisible et des vaches de petit format avec une flanc profond. On a constaté une tendance en direction des races à deux fins. Les propriétaires portaient leur attention à ce qu'un petit nombre de personnes pratiquent la traite régulièrement. Vu l'élevage des propres jeunes animaux sur 94% des exploitations, le trafic des animaux a été réduit. D'autre part, des structures d'exploitation et des processus de travail clairs ainsi qu'une bonne observation des animaux avaient un effet décisif sur le succès de ce mode de production. Sur ces exploitations, des méthodes de traitement spécifiques, telles l'homéopathie ou la phytothérapie ainsi que des remèdes traditionnels étaient utilisés en soutien.

[HPLC fingerprints of pig, cattle and sheep biles].

To establish the fingerprints of biles of pig, cattle and sheep, HPLC was used with Acclaim™ RSLC 120 C18 column (3.0 mm×100 mm, 2.2 µm, 120 Å), the column temperature 35 °C, acetonitrile-1% perchloric acid as mobile phase, gradient elution, 0.5 mL·min⁻¹ flow rate, and detection wavelength at 200 nm. The fingerprint was generated by using Similarity Evaluation Software of Chromatographic Fingerprint of Chinese Medicine (2004A Edition). The fingerprint peaks were identified by reference substances and verified by ELSD and LC-MS/MS. Then, the biles of pig, cattle and sheep were detected to contain 14, 9 and 8 common fingerprint peaks respectively, and the similarity was greater than 0.92. To analyze each technical parameter, GHDCA in pig bile and TCA in cattle and sheep bile were selected as reference peak. The precision, repeatability and stability all meet the requirements of fingerprint establishment. The RSD of the relative retention time of the fingerprint peaks was less than 1.5%, and the RSD of the relative peak area was less than 5%. The fingerprint peaks in pig bile were THDCA, TCDCA, GHDCA and GCDCA, and TCA, TCDCA, GCA, GCDCA and GDCA in cattle and sheep bile. The main components of pig, cattle and sheep bile were conjugated bile acids, but there were significant differences in bile acids between pig bile and cattle, sheep biles. The HPLC method established in this paper is simple, rapid and reproducible, and could be applied to the identification and quality control of biles.

Invited review: A systematic review and qualitative analysis of treatments other than conventional antimicrobials for clinical mastitis in dairy cows.

Clinical mastitis is an important disease in dairies. Its treatment is mainly based on the use of antimicrobial drugs. Numerous non-antimicrobial drugs and treatment strategies have already been reported for clinical mastitis treatment, but data on their efficacy have never been collated in a systematic way. The objective of this systematic review was to identify treatments other than conventional antimicrobials for the treatment of clinical mastitis in lactating dairy cows. A systematic review was performed with studies written in English or French selected from CAB Abstracts, PubMed, and Web of Science from January 1970 to June 2014. Controlled clinical trials, observational studies, and experimental challenges were retained. Lactating dairy cows with clinical mastitis were the participant of interest. All treatments other than conventional antimicrobials for clinical mastitis during lactation were retained. Only studies comparing the treatment under investigation to a negative or positive control, or both, were included. Outcomes evaluated were clinical and bacteriological cure rates and milk production. Selection of the study, data extraction, and assessment of risk of bias was performed by 3 reviewers. Assessment of risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration tool for systematic review of interventions. A total of 2,451 manuscripts were first identified and 39 manuscripts corresponding to 41 studies were included. Among these, 22 were clinical trials, 18 were experimental studies, and 1 was an observational study. The treatments evaluated were conventional anti-inflammatory drugs (n = 14), oxytocin with or without frequent milk out (n = 5), biologics (n = 9), homeopathy (n = 5), botanicals (n = 4), probiotics (n = 2), and other alternative products (n = 2). All trials had at least one unclear or high risk of bias. Most trials (n = 13) did not observe significant differences in clinical or bacteriological cure rates in comparison with negative or positive controls. Few studies evaluated the effect of treatment on milk yield. In general, the power of the different studies was very low, thus precluding conclusions on noninferiority or nonsuperiority of the treatments investigated. No evidence-based recommendations could be given for the use of an alternative or non-antimicrobial conventional treatment for clinical mastitis. However, probiotics and oxytocin with or without frequent milk out should not be recommended. We concluded that homeopathic treatments are not efficient for management of clinical mastitis.

Randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial shows no benefit of homeopathic mastitis treatment in dairy cows.

Mastitis is one of the most common diseases in dairy production, and homeopathic remedies have been used increasingly in recent years to treat it. Clinical trials evaluating homeopathy have often been criticized for their inadequate scientific approach. The objective of this triple-blind, randomized controlled trial was to assess the efficacy of homeopathic treatment in bovine clinical mastitis. The study was conducted on a conventionally managed dairy farm between June 2013 and May 2014. Dairy cows with acute mastitis were randomly allocated to homeopathy (n = 70) or placebo (n = 92), for a total of 162 animals. The homeopathic treatment was selected based on clinical symptoms but most commonly consisted of a combination of nosodes with Streptococcinum, Staphylococcinum, Pyrogenium, and Escherichia coli at a potency of 200c. Treatment was administered to cows in the homeopathy group at least once per day for an average of 5 d. The cows in the placebo group were treated similarly, using a placebo preparation instead (lactose globules without active ingredients). If necessary, we also used allopathic drugs (e.g., antibiotics, udder creams, and anti-inflammatory drugs) in both groups. We recorded data relating to the clinical signs of mastitis, treatment, time to recovery, milk yield, somatic cell count at first milk recording after mastitis, and culling. We observed cows for up to 200 d after clinical recovery. Base-level data did not differ between the homeopathy and placebo groups. Mastitis lasted for an average of 6 d in both groups. We observed no significant differences in time to recovery, somatic cell count, risk of clinical cure within 14 d after disease occurrence, mastitis recurrence risk, or culling risk. The results indicated no additional effect of homeopathic treatment compared with placebo. The advantages or disadvantages of homeopathy should be carefully assessed for individual farms.

In vivo efficacy of a biotherapic and eugenol formulation against Rhipicephalus microplus.

The control of Rhipicephalus microplus is essential to prevent cattle discomfort and economic losses. However, increased resistance and acaricides inefficiency lead producers to adopt strategies that could result in the accumulation of chemical residues in meat and milk with possibilities of poisoning in animals and people. This scenario demonstrates the necessity of research into the identification of novel, effective and environmentally safe therapeutic options for cattle tick control. The objectives of this study were to develop and assess the efficacy of R. microplus biotherapic and of 5% eugenol for the control of R. microplus in artificially infested calves. Eighteen male 6-month-old Holstein calves were divided into three groups of six animals. In Group 1, the animals did not receive medication (control group); in Group 2, the animals received 1 mL of R. microplus biotherapic at dilution 6CH (centesimal Hahnemannian), orally administered twice daily. And in Group 3, they received a single application of eugenol 5% in the pour-on formulation. The median efficacy for biotherapy and eugenol 5% was respectively 10.13 and 13.97%; however, upon analyzing reproductive efficiency, it is noteworthy that the biotherapic had 45.86% efficiency and was superior to the action of eugenol (12.03%) after 37 days of treatment. The ultrastructural study provided information about the effects of R. microplus biotherapic on the ovaries of engorged females and showed disorganization in the deposition of the oocyte exochorion. The results suggest hatchability inhibition of larvae, interference in R. microplus reproduction and future possibilities for eco-friendly control of R. microplus with biotherapic 6CH.

Mastitis prevention and control practices and mastitis treatment strategies associated with the consumption of (critically important) antimicrobials on dairy herds in Flanders, Belgium.

The main objectives of this study were to evaluate to what extent variations in herd-level antimicrobial consumption (AMC) can be explained by differences in management practices that are consistently effective in the prevention of (sub)clinical mastitis, on the one hand, and by differences in mastitis treatment strategies, on the other hand. Antimicrobial consumption data were obtained during 2012 and 2013 by "garbage can audits" and expressed as antimicrobial treatment incidences (ATI) for all compounds combined (total ATI) and for the critically important antimicrobials for human health separately. Data on mastitis prevention and control practices were obtained via face-to-face interviews performed during herd visits in March 2013. Some management practices and treatment strategies related to udder health were associated with the total AMC. However, the results demonstrated that implementing effective udder health management practices does not necessarily imply a low AMC and vice versa. Herds participating in a veterinary herd health management program and herds selectively drying off cows used fewer antimicrobials compared with herds not participating in such a program or applying blanket dry-cow therapy. Moreover, herds treating (some) (sub)clinical mastitis cases with intramammary homeopathic substances consumed fewer antimicrobials than herds not applying such homeopathic treatments. Besides these factors, no other direct association was found between effective udder health management practices on the one hand and AMC on the other hand. Also, the use of critically important antimicrobials was only associated with the way in which subclinical mastitis cases were treated. The latter indicates that the AMC of critically important antimicrobials is potentially driven by factors other than those included in this study such as those related to the "mindset" of the veterinarians and their farmers. Future research should therefore aim to unravel the reasoning of vets and their farmers behind the use of those critically important antimicrobials for the treatment of mastitis and other diseases.

Use of homeopathy in organic dairy farming in Spain.

Organic farming principles promote the use of unconventional therapies as an alternative to chemical substances (which are limited by organic regulations), with homeopathy being the most extensive. Traditionally, Spain has had little faith in homeopathy but its use in organic farming is growing. Fifty-six Spanish organic dairy farmers were interviewed to obtain what we believe to be the first data on the use of homeopathy in organic dairy cattle in Spain. Only 32% of farms use some sort of alternative therapy (16.1% homeopathy, 10.7% phytotherapy and 5.3% using both therapies) and interestingly, a clear geographical pattern showing a higher use towards the East (similar to that in the human population) was observed. The main motivation to use homeopathy was the need to reduce chemical substances promoted by organic regulations, and the treatment of clinical mastitis being the principle reason. The number of total treatments was lower in farms using homeopathy compared with those applying allopathic therapies (0.13 and 0.54 treatments/cow/year respectively) and although the bulk SCC was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in these farms (161,826 and 111,218 cel/ml, respectively) it did not have any negative economical penalty for the farmer and milk quality was not affected complying with the required standards; on the contrary homeopathic therapies seems to be an alternative for reducing antibiotic treatments, allowing farmers to meet the organic farming principles.

Strategies used by dairy family farmers in the south of Brazil to comply with organic regulations.

The aims of this study were to investigate the environmental, feeding, and health management of organic (ORG) family dairy farms in the south of Brazil in comparison with conventional (CONV) farms, and to assess their degree of compliance with Brazilian organic legislation and the strategies they adopt to accomplish this (n=17 per group). During 2 visits to each farm in March and September, 2010, observations were made on the environment, feed, and health management, followed by bulk milk testing, clinical evaluation, and breed assessment of each individual cow, and an evaluation of diseases and treatments reported within the period. Additional data were collected directly from the farmers through direct interviews. The number of lactating cows was, on average, 11 (range 5 to 19) in the ORG and 16 (range 7 to 42) in the CONV herds. The ORG herds presented a lower percentage of the Holstein breed; whereas CONV herds were predominantly Holstein, in the ORG herds, only 2 herds were 100% Holstein and the remaining herds were crosses of Holstein, Jersey, and Gir (Bos indicus) cattle. Milk production per cow was lower (10.2 vs. 15.1 ± 1.22 L/cow, respectively) in ORG than in the CONV farms. The ORG farms offered less concentrate feed than CONV farms and had better pasture management. Organic farmers reported using phytotherapic and homeopathic products, and pasture management as a strategy to keep infection levels of endo- and ectoparasites low, whereas CONV farmers regularly used anthelmintics and acaricides. Milk production was lower in ORG than in CONV farms, but cow health and condition scores were broadly similar, indicating that the with these strategies ORG farms were able to secure levels of animal welfare comparable with CONV farms while complying with organic regulation, although at the cost of lower cow productivity.

Early udder inflammation in dairy cows treated by a homeopathic medicine (Dolisovet): a prospective observational pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Mammary inflammation in dairy cows is a widespread problem in dairy farming resulting in significant economic and welfare concerns. Dolisovet (Belladonna 1dH, Calendula MT, Echinacea 1dH, Dulcamara 1cH) a homeopathic medicine, licensed in France and indicated for the restoration of mammary function in cows is presented as a 10 g tube of ointment for intramammary use. METHOD: A prospective, uncontrolled, observational pilot study involving the collection and analysis of data from 31 udder quarters identified as being inflamed by an automated milking system (AMS) was conducted to evaluate the effect of Dolisovet on selected parameters of mammary inflammation. Inflamed quarters were identified when milk quality started to deteriorate, via an alert generated by the AMS, on the basis of electrical conductivity (EC). Milk yield and EC were retrieved five to seven days prior to the AMS alert, on the day of and for the following seven days. Dolisovet was administered twice daily for two consecutive days, commencing on the day of the AMS alert. RESULTS: A significant reduction in EC was observed 4-7 days following the first treatment. An increase in milk yield was also observed following the first treatment. CONCLUSION: Dolisovet may have a beneficial therapeutic effect in the early stages of udder inflammation and for restoring udder health and function. This medicine may be an effective first line treatment for sub-clinical bovine mastitis, reducing the need for antibiotics. Randomised, controlled studies should be undertaken to further investigate this possibility.

[Effectiveness of a homeopathic prophylaxis for bovine mastitis during dry-off and parturition]. / Zur Wirksamkeit einer homöopathischen Mastitisprophylaxe zum Trockenstellen und Abkalben beim Rind.

The present study examines the efficacy of a homeopathic dry cow prophylaxis in a randomized, placebo controlled case-control field trial. The study was conducted in 24 Brown Swiss farms in the Engadine (Swiss mountain region). The effect of the used homeopathic substances were combined with antibiotics in justified cases. At drying off and in the 3rd and 5th week of lactation the udders were clinically examined and quarter milk samples were taken for bacteriological and cytological analysis. In addition, milk recording data of the first 6 milk testing were included in the evaluations. The used homeopathic prophylaxis at drying off did not show any effect in the incidence of dry cow mastitis and mastitis in the first 120 days of lactation. However, at day 21 post partum significantly fewer animals in the verum group showed a bacteriological finding of a major pathogen, but more animals in this group suffered from a secretion disorder. It has been shown that at the 6th milk test pp significantly more animals of the verum group had a somatic cell count below 100'000 cells/ml than the control group.

Dans cette étude, on contrôle l'efficacité d'une prévention homéopathique lors du tarissement dans le cadre d'une étude randomisée versus placebo. L'étude a été réalisée dans 24 exploitations en Engadine, élevant de la race brune. L'efficacité des produits homéopathiques utilisés a également été considérée en tenant compte des antibiotiques appliquées dans les cas fondés. Chez tous les animaux on a recueilli un échantillon de chaque quartier lors du tarissement ainsi qu'en 3ème et 5ème semaine de lactation. Ces échantillons ont été examinés du point de vu bactériologique et quant au nombre de cellules. En outre, le taux de cellules des 6 premiers contrôles laitier a été intégré dans le calcul des résultats. La prévention homéopathique lors des tarissement n'a pas montré d'effet quant à l'apparition de mammites durant la période de tarissement ou durant les 120 premiers jours de la lactation. On a toutefois pu montrer que, 21 jours postpartum, le nombre d'animaux présentant des résultats bactériologiques avec des germes importants pour les mammites était significativement plus bas mais qu'un plus grand nombres d'animaux souffraient des troubles de la sécrétion. Lors du 6ème contrôle laitier postpartum, il y avait dans le groupe test plus d'animaux avec un taux de cellule inférieur à 100'000/ml que dans le groupe de contrôle.

The use of a homeopathic preparation in the treatment of subclinical form of mastitis in cows.

Background: Mastitis is a disease of productive cows, widespread throughout the world, and characterized by significant economic damage to the dairy industry. The subclinical form of this disease is aggravated by additional difficulties with its diagnosis and the lack of clear treatment protocols. Aim: Therefore, the study of the effectiveness of diagnostic studies and the search for new methods of treatment of latent forms of mastitis is an important direction in scientific research in countries with developed dairy cattle breeding. Methods: Studies conducted on the number of dairy cows of the production cooperative "Izhevsky" of the Akmola region of the Republic of Kazakhstan showed that when using rapid tests Kenotest, Somatest, Mastidine test, and Wideside test, the same results were obtained when the disease was detected in cows. The effectiveness of the tests was at the level of 60%-62% when using the settling sample as a control. Medical procedures were carried out using the Aquaton-2 microwave radiation apparatus and a homeopathic preparation. When using physiotherapy with microwave radiation, a decrease in the level of microbial contamination of milk from the treated part of the udder by 1.5-5 times was observed. Results: Biologically active substances of plant origin in the homeopathic preparation, due to the immunostimulating effect, made it possible to increase the level of γ-globulins in the blood serum of sick animals during the application. Conclusion: The complex use of both methods in the treatment of animals with a subclinical form of mastitis made it possible to reduce the level of somatic cells in the milk of the affected udder lobe to a level that cannot be determined using Kenotest in 4-6 days, which is 2-4 days faster than using these methods separately.

Development of unconventional treatments for mastitis in dairy cattle.

Background: The increase in the intensity of livestock industries, by improving the technology of animal product manufacturing, largely depends on the correct organization of herd reproduction and the intensity of using the biological capabilities of the animal organism. Various diseases, including such common diseases as mastitis, complicate the successful reproduction and growth of enterprise productivity. The widespread use of antibiotic-containing drugs for the treatment of mastitis creates a number of inevitable consequences for the body. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the residual content of antibiotics in the collected milk after the course of treatment poses a serious danger to human health and reduces the quality of dairy products obtained from such milk. Aim: The authors set the task of developing a new, antibiotic-free method of treating bovine mastitis. This paper is devoted to the problem of improving methods of treating the subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle by alternative methods during the interlactation period. Methods: The leading method for the study of this problem is an experimental method that allows to develop and test a veterinary homeopathic substance for the treatment of subclinical mastitis in cows during the interlactation period. Results: This paper presents materials on the typification of microflora in the milk of cows with subclinical mastitis and the effectiveness of a veterinary homeopathic substance developed by the authors. The use of the veterinary homeopathic substance provided a high therapeutic effect, and did not cause side effects and complications in cows. Conclusion: The resulting veterinary substance was tested and introduced into the "Izhevskiy" natural complex of Akmola region as a new alternative method of treating subclinical mastitis in cows. Based on this substance, a drug for the treatment of mastitis will be developed and proposed for production.

The therapeutic effect of Tarentula cubensis extract (Theranekron®) in foot-and-mouth disease in cattle: a randomised trial in an endemic setting.

BACKGROUND: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a contagious viral disease of ruminant animals. Eradication of disease in western countries is by slaughter of infected and in contact animals but this is not possible in endemic countries. There is no standard treatment for FMD in endemic countries, but anti-inflammatory drugs and mild disinfectant and protective dressing to inflamed areas to prevent secondary infection is recommended. METHOD: A randomised controlled clinical trial of a homeopathic preparation of Tarentula cubensis (Theranekron®) was conducted during an outbreak of FMD in cattle in Iran. A single subcutaneous injection of Theranekron® was used as sole treatment in 50 infected animals (treatment group). The control group comprised 15 infected animals treated with standard medication including: daily injection of flunixin meglumine and oxytetracycline and daily dressing of lesions with 4% sodium carbonate. Systemic and local signs were recorded over 14 days. RESULTS: Rectal temperature in treatment group subsided to normal range within 1 day of homeopathic treatment, and was significantly lower in test group than in control group on several successive days (P < 0.05). Healing of inflamed mucosal areas and appetite score of the treatment was significantly better than control during first 3 days of treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It appears that Theranekron® is effective for treatment of systemic and local signs of FMD-infected cattle. Further research is justified.

The effect of individualized homeopathic treatment on the semen quality of bulls with reproductive disorders: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Poor semen quality of pedigree bulls has major economic implications in cattle breeding. AIMS: To evaluate the effect of homeopathy on the semen of bulls with reproductive disorders. METHODS: The behavioral, clinical and spermatic characteristics of four Nelore bulls were evaluated. The bulls received individualized homeopathic treatment mixed into the feed and administered once per day. Semen was collected using an artificial vagina. Successful collection, freezing, effective doses, and the number of doses of semen per collection were compared before and after homeopathic treatment. RESULTS: The bulls were treated with Sulphur, Phosphorus, Lycopodium and Argentum nitricum all in 30CH dilution. The rates of successful collection were 97.14%, 100%, 96.67% and 30.77% pretreatment and 95.45%, 100%, 94.67% and 96.77% at post-treatment for bulls A, B, C and D, respectively. The average number of doses per ejaculate pre and post-treatment were 102.67 (SD 74.41) vs. 300.08 (SD 180.58), 0 vs. 234.78 (SD 96.12), 0 vs. 105.12 (SD 54.98), 0 ± vs. 107.37 (SD 52.12) respectively. Many of these differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The use of homeopathy apparently improved the production of viable doses of semen from bulls with previous freezing problems and poor semen quality. Controlled studies should be conducted.

Effects of two homeopathic complexes on bovine sperm mitochondrial activity.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two homeopathic complexes Ubichinon compositum® (Ubi comp) and Coenzyme compositum ad us. vet.® (CoQ10 comp) on bovine sperm mitochondrial activity. METHODS: Sperm viability, acrosomal integrity and sperm chromatin structure were estimated to detect the possible side effect of complexes on other sperm parameters. RESULTS: Mitochondrial activity was significantly enhanced by both Ubi comp (P<0.01) and CoQ10 comp (P<0.05). No effects were detected in other tested sperm parameters. CONCLUSION: The tested homeopathic complex medicines stimulate the mitochondrial activity of bovine sperm without effects on their viability, acrosomal integrity or chromatin structure. The possibility that this translates into improved fertilization capacity in artificial insemination should investigated.