Potential of emerging therapeutic alternatives in bovine mastitis prevention and control

Abstract

Currently, the most impactful disease affecting dairy cattle is mastitis, characterized by inflammation of the mammary gland, which causes significant economic losses worldwide. The main biotic factors responsible for this disease include Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, notably Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae, as well as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Despite the existence of a ten-point program to prevent bovine mastitis, antibiotic therapy remains the most widely used treatment. However, its extensive use increases the selection of resistant bacteria, compromising its effectiveness. In addition, pathogen virulence factors enable them to infect mammary tissues after evading the animal's immune system. This highlights the need to explore emerging alternative therapeutic approaches with the potential to be used in the prevention and control of the disease. These include: nanoparticles (NPs), antibiotic enhancers, bacterial resistance inhibitors, mastitis immunotherapy, and biocomposites. All these approaches are characterized by promising results in the fight against pathogenic bacteria, as they inhibit the growth of multidrug resistant microorganisms, through different mechanisms of action such as inhibiting some of their virulence factors or inactivating the enzymes that provide resistance. In addition, they improve the effect of antibiotics that are no longer effective, which could allow their reuse; and modulate (enhance) the immune response of bovine mammary cells; among others. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of current and emerging alternatives that could be incorporated as complementary tools with potential utility in the prevention and control of bovine mastitis.