Worldwide, requirements for substances used in cow udder disinfectants are becoming stricter. The European Union has introduced strict regulation of biocides that contact animals used for food production. According to EU regulations, new biocidal products must undergo evaluation and obtain authorization before entering the market, while their active substances must be previously approved. These rules also apply to teat disinfectants used in raw milk production. Therefore, the development of udder care products based on substances naturally present in milk or dairy products is considered promising, as it minimizes concerns about residues in milk.
The aim of the research was to analyze the domestic market of cow udder care products and, based on theoretical and experimental studies, to develop and test an agent for pre-milking teat skin treatment.
Studies conducted on dairy farms in Ternopil region showed that subclinical mastitis in heifers was diagnosed 4 weeks before calving in 17.6% of cases and 1.7 times more often two weeks before calving. The main pathogens were S. aureus (28.6–33.4%), Str. agalactiae (35.7–44.4%), Str. dysgalactiae (14.3%), and Str. uberis (21.4–22.2%). During the study period, subclinical mastitis was detected in 27.3% of first-calving cows for the entire three-month observation period, in 54.5% for two months, and in 18.2% only once. In dairy herds, the annual prevalence of subclinical mastitis ranged from 3.6 to 27%, while clinical mastitis ranged from 1.3 to 2.4%. These results confirm the need for effective preventive and therapeutic mastitis control measures.
The analysis of the domestic market revealed 88 udder care products, including 31% for pre-milking treatment and 69% for post-milking treatment. Foreign products dominate the market: there are 1.4 times more imported pre-milking agents and 1.2 times more post-milking agents compared with domestic ones. Lactic acid was the most common active substance (55%), followed by iodine compounds (18%), hydrogen peroxide (8%), and benzalkonium chloride (4%). In domestic products, lactic acid is usually the only active ingredient, while foreign products often combine it with other antibacterial substances to enhance bactericidal activity. Foam preparations account for 55% of products and solutions for 45%.
The possibility of using nisin as an antibacterial substance in pre-milking teat disinfectants was investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentration of nisin after 30 seconds of exposure was 1.0% for S. aureus and 0.125% for Str. uberis. Although nisin showed limited activity against E. coli, it inhibited more than 80–90% of the microflora. The minimum inhibitory concentration of lactic acid was 2% for S. aureus and E. coli and 1% for Str. uberis. Even lower concentrations (0.5–1%) inhibited up to 96–98% of microorganisms. The well diffusion method demonstrated a synergistic bactericidal effect of nisin combined with lactic acid. The optimal concentration for a disinfectant formulation was determined to be 0.5–1.0% nisin and 1–2% lactic acid.
Based on these results, a sanitizing agent named Sanskin was developed with the following composition: nisin – 1%, lactic acid – 2%, glycerin – 4%, allantoin – 0.5%, and water up to 100%. The product is a transparent light-yellow liquid with a slight lactic acid odor and pH 4.1–4.2. During 12 months of storage at 10–25 °C, no significant changes in physicochemical or bactericidal properties were observed.
Toxicological studies showed that Sanskin belongs to low-hazard substances (toxicity class 5) and is practically non-toxic. It does not cause skin irritation or sensitization and shows no systemic absorption, although slight irritation of the eye mucosa was observed. These results confirm the safety of the product for external use.
Production trials demonstrated that pre-milking teat treatment with Sanskin reduced the number of staphylococci by 4.8 times, streptococci by 4.5 times, and coliform bacteria by hundreds of times. The effectiveness was comparable to the foreign product Oxy Foam. Overall, the agent removed up to 79.3% of Staphylococcus, 77.6% of Streptococcus, and almost all coliform bacteria from teat skin before milking.
Application of Sanskin also improved the microbiological quality of fresh milk. The number of mesophilic bacteria decreased by about 1.4 times (14–20 thousand CFU/ml) compared with washing the udder with water. The number of S. aureus was approximately two times lower and coliform bacteria were reduced by two orders of magnitude.
Thus, Sanskin is an environmentally safe disinfectant composed of natural substances used as preservatives in dairy products and can be effectively applied on dairy farms, including organic milk production.
Keywords: disinfectants, pre-milking skin care, MAFAnM of raw milk material, nisin, lactic acid, mastitis, antimicrobial resistance, pharmaceutical toxicity, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus.
