Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Aegle marmelos and Murraya koenigii in dairy cows with endometritis

The present study investigated the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of leaves of Aegle marmelos and Murraya koenigii in dairy cows with endometritis. Sixteen cows with a history of repeat breeding were enrolled in the study. Endometritis was initially diagnosed on the basis of mucopurulent/cloudy cervico-vaginal discharge or presence of pus flakes in uterine lavage. The diagnosis was confirmed by endometrial cytology using >5% polymorphonuclear (PMN) as the cut-off point. Twelve of the 16 enrolled cows were diagnosed with endometritis and allocated to treatment (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups. Cows in the treatment group were supplemented with 200 gm of Aegle marmelos and Murraya koenigii leaf powder daily for 9 days through oral route. The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects were assessed by evaluating the changes in bacterial load, PMN cell count and oxidative parameters [malondialdehyde (MDA), ascorbic acid (ASCA), reduced glutathione (R-GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)], respectively. Results indicated significant reduction in the bacterial load and PMN cell count in the herb supplemented cows. The MDA concentration decreased drastically, whereas ASCA and R-GSH concentrations and TAC increased significantly in herb supplemented cows as compared to control. Although the SOD activity was not significantly different between the groups, there was a tendency of higher activity in herb supplemented cows. In conclusion, Aegle marmelos and Murraya koenigii reduce bacterial load and inflammation in endometritic dairy cows with a concurrent increase in the endogenous antioxidants.