Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chitosan hydrogels with Ajwain oil fight dog ear infections
By Niaraki, Niloofar Jelokhani et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2024·Department of Microbiology and Immunology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Antibacterial effects of chitosan-based hydrogels containing Trachyspermum ammi essential oil on pathogens isolated from dogs with otitis externa.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 57 dogs with ear infections (otitis externa) were treated with a new gel made from chitosan and essential oil from Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) to see if it could help fight the bacteria causing their infections. The most common bacteria found were Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study showed that this new treatment was effective against these bacteria and could work better than traditional antibiotics, potentially reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance. This means that if your dog has an ear infection that hasn't responded to regular treatments, this new gel could be a promising option.
People also search for: dog ear infection treatment · Ajwain essential oil for dogs · chitosan nanoparticles for dog infections
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Growing antibiotic resistance has made treating otitis externa (OE) increasingly challenging. On the other hand, local antimicrobial treatments, especially those that combine essential oils (EOs) with nanoparticles, tend to be preferred over systemic ones. It was investigated whether Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) EO, combined with chitosan nanoparticles modified by cholesterol, could inhibit the growth of bacterial pathogens isolated from OE cases in dogs. In total, 57 dogs with clinical signs of OE were examined and bacteriologically tested. Hydrogels of Chitosan were synthesized by self-assembly and investigated. EO was extracted (Clevenger machine), and its ingredients were checked (GC-MS analysis) and encapsulated in chitosan-cholesterol nanoparticles. Disc-diffusion and broth Micro-dilution (MIC and MBC) examined its antimicrobial and therapeutic properties. RESULTS: Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (49.3%) was the most common bacteria isolated from OE cases, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.7%), Escherichia coli (13.3%), Streptococcus canis (9.3%), Corynebacterium auriscanis (6.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.7%), Proteus mirabilis (2.7%), and Bacillus cereus (1.3%). The investigation into the antimicrobial properties of Ajwain EO encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles revealed that it exhibited a more pronounced antimicrobial effect against the pathogens responsible for OE. CONCLUSIONS: Using chitosan nanoparticles encapsulated with EO presents an effective treatment approach for dogs with OE that conventional antimicrobial treatments have not cured. This approach not only enhances antibacterial effects but also reduces the required dosage of antimicrobials, potentially preventing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38561827/