Reducing the Impact of Bovine Mastitis with a Novel Modified Chitosan Administered at Dry Off

Mastitis results in approximately a $200 per cow economic loss in the United State dairy industry. Mastitis is almost always caused by bacteria entering the mammary gland via the teat canal. Contagious pathogens are transmitted from cow to cow during milking. Environmental pathogens, as the name indicates, are present in the environment and usually enter the udder through the teat canal through the teat opening between milkings or during the dry period. Chitosan is a polysaccharide derived from chitin that has been isolated from diverse sources such as crustaceans and fungi. Chitosan has been noted to demonstrate mild bioadhesive properties and has been proposed for a number of clinical indications to promote adherence to tissues. PhotoBioMed has developed novel, modified chitosan formulations that have improved adhesiveness. SLI proposes to develop a safe and effective dry cow teat canal sealant using modified chitosan formulations prepared by PhotoBioMed. Formulations will be screened to optimize pH, viscosity, and cohesive/adhesive properties. A prototype applicator will be developed that optimizes ease of sanitary delivery and site of deposition. Three candidate formulations will be evaluated in an in vivo experiment using histological evaluation of the teat at various times post-application.