Effects of herbal extract of Ocimum sanctum as supportive therapy with intravenous ceftriaxone in experimentally induced staphylococcal chronic mastitis in goat

• Chronic mastitis was induced in goats by intracisternal inoculation of Staphylococcus aureus.
• Ocimum sanctum leaf juice was used orally as supportive therapy with intravenous ceftriaxone in mastitic goats.
• Concentrations of ceftriaxone and ceftizoxime increased in plasma and milk with Ocimum sanctum ​leaf juice.
• No Staphylococcus aureus colony was seen in milk at 96 h post treatment.
• O. sanctum significantly reduced ALP activity, increased LPO activity along with normal reduced GSH level in milk.

The protective effects of Ocimum sanctum leaf juice as supportive therapy in induced chronic staphylococcal mastitis were evaluated with intravenous ceftriaxone injection in lactating goats. Chronic mastitis was induced after 30 days of intracisternal inoculation of 2000 c.f.u. of Staphylococcus aureus (J 638) into the left teat of the udder in two Groups of goats (Group I and Group II). Group I mastitic goats received only ceftriaxone injection i.v. at 20 mg/kg at 4 days intervals two times, whereas Group II mastitic goats were given fresh undiluted O. sanctum leaf juice at 5 ml/kg orally for consecutive 14 days with intravenous ceftriaxone injection at 20 mg/kg at 7 days intervals two times. In the animals receiving O. sanctum leaf juice, the plasma concentration of ceftriaxone increased to 0.11 ± 0.03 μg/ml, 33.93 ± 1.54 μg/ml, 1.62 ± 0.17 μg/ml, 0.70 ± 0.09 μg/ml and 0.19 ± 0.03 μg/ml vs control at 48, 216, 240, 264 and 288 h with an increased concentration of ceftizoxime i.e., 0.26 ± 0.03 μg/ml,0.58 ± 0.05 μg/ml, 0.85 ± 0.02 μg/ml,1.26 ± 0.04 μg/ml, 2.82 ± 0.04 μg/ml, 1.96 ± 0.04 μg/ml, 0.67 ± 0.02 μg/ml vs below detectable level in control Group at 72, 216, 240, 264, 288, 312 and 336 h, respectively. Further, the concentration of its metabolite i.e., ceftizoxime increased to 4.08 ± 0.18 μg/ml and 0.80 ± 0.18 μg/ml at day 4 and 6, respectively in milk from a below detectable level and milk concentration of both ceftriaxone and ceftizoxime increased in both halves of the udder at different time in Group II goats. No S. aureus colony was seen in milk at 96 h post treatment in Group II goats. O. sanctum leaf juice (0.05 ml) decreased the minimum inhibitory concentration of ceftriaxone (3 μg/ml) and ceftizoxime (1 μg/ml) to 0.5 μg/ml for both the drugs against inoculated S. aureus. O. sanctum treatment significantly reduced the alkaline phosphatase activity along with an increase in lactoperoxidase activity maintaining normal reduced glutathione level with intravenous ceftriaxone therapy. The findings proved that O. sanctum leaf juice has significant bioenhancing and antioxidant activities which can be used as supportive therapy in staphylococcal chronic mastitis in goat.