Evaluation of Ethnoveterinary Plants Extracts as an Antibacterial Agents Against Streptococcus spp. In Bovine Mastitis

Bovine mastitis — a bacterial infection of the udder in dairy cows — costs the global dairy industry enormous sums each year through reduced milk production and veterinary expenses. Streptococcus bacteria are among the leading culprits, and their growing resistance to conventional antibiotics has pushed researchers to look at traditional plant-based remedies used in veterinary practice. This study tested nine medicinal plants against Streptococcus isolates taken from infected dairy cows to see which, if any, could inhibit bacterial growth in laboratory conditions. Moringa oleifera was one of the nine plants evaluated, though it ranked among the lower performers in this comparison. The standout result was Terminalia bellirica — a fruit-bearing tree used in Ayurvedic medicine — which produced the largest zones of inhibition, meaning it stopped bacterial growth most effectively in the lab dish. Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Azadirachta indica (neem) followed closely. Moringa, along with Piper betle and Asparagus racemosus, showed comparatively weaker antibacterial activity against the Streptococcus strains tested. The differences between all nine plants were statistically significant, meaning the variation in results was unlikely to be due to chance alone. For anyone interested in moringa specifically, this study places it in context: it does show some antibacterial activity, but it is not the strongest option among the plants tested here. The findings matter because antibiotic resistance in livestock is a genuine public health concern — bacteria that evolve resistance in animals can sometimes transfer that resistance to human pathogens. Plant-based alternatives, if validated through further research, could offer supplementary tools for managing mastitis without worsening resistance problems.