Antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extract of propolis against bacteria that cause mastitis in cattle

Propolis is a substance produced by bees, especially Apis mellifera , from resins of plant shoots. It possesses numerous biological properties, such as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. Activities such as organic dairy farming show high demand for natural products with proprieties like those of propolis, since milk contamination and mastitis are major problems of the dairy industry. The objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro the antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of an ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP). Action of the EEP extracted from beehives in southern Brazil was tested against 13 different genera of bacterial agents that cause mastitis in dairy cattle. The experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Parasitology and Microbiology at the Federal University of Pampa, Campus Dom Pedrito - RS, Brazil, during May and June 2016. Agar diffusion and microdilution plate methodologies were followed. Based on the results of the minimum inhibitory concentration test (MIC), the EEP had inhibitory activity on 100% of the bacteria tested at concentrations above 10% (w/v). These results show that propolis has antimicrobial potential against bacteria involved in the process of mastitis.