Study on antibacterial effect of thyme and peppermint aqueous extracts on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains causing mastitis in camels

One of the problems dense raised in camelʹs husbandry is the increased incidence of mastitis. The use of antibiotics is the most common way to treat this disease. The widespread use of these compounds and to find a suitable replacement for them is one of the main issues in the livestock industry. Herbal plants were shown to have antibacterial properties, therefore could be suitable option for this purpose. Thyme and peppermint are two the plants, which there volatile compounds, have been used in the treatment of many diseases in human and some animals. Therefore, this study was performed in order to consider the anti-bacterial properties of these plant extracts on two mastitis-causing bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). The results showed that both plants had anti-bacterial properties on both bacteria. Also, results revealed that peppermint had more effect on Escherichia coli than thyme extract (p < 0.05). Whereas, the aqueous extracts of these two plants showed no significant effects on Staphylococcus aureus. Generally, the results indicate that aqueous extracts of thyme and peppermint could be suitable replacement for antibiotics in order to prevention and treatment on mastitis.