Potential Use of Clove Leaf Essential oil as a Teat dipping Solution Based on Antimicrobial Activity against Mastitis-Causing microorganism

Abstract

Mastitis is one of the major diseases in dairy cows, causing significant economic losses due to decreased milk production and increased treatment costs. Mastitis prevention is commonly performed through teat dipping using synthetic antiseptics such as povidone iodine; however, their use may leave residues and induce microbial resistance. Clove leaf (Syzygium aromaticum) essential oil contains eugenol, which possesses antimicrobial activity, and therefore has potential as a natural alternative for teat dipping solutions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of clove leaf essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae through inhibition zone and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests. The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with six treatments (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10%, and 10% povidone iodine) and three replications. The inhibition zone test showed that inhibition diameter increased with higher concentrations, with the 10% treatment producing the largest inhibition against all tested microorganisms. The MIC values of clove leaf essential oil were 0.31% (v/v) for S. aureus and E. coli, and 0.156% (v/v) for C. albicans and S. cerevisiae, which were lower than those of povidone iodine (2.5% and 1.25%, respectively). These results indicate that 10% clove leaf essential oil exhibits greater antimicrobial effectiveness compared to 10% povidone iodine and has potential as a safer natural alternative for teat dipping to prevent mastitis. Further in vivo studies are required to confirm its effectiveness under field conditions.