The in vitro efficacy of SunSmile® Fruit & Vegetable Rinse against pathogenic strains of Prototheca algae that cause mastitis in cows

Abstract

The research concerns algae of the genus Prototheca. They are found in the natural environment and they can cause a disease in animals and humans called protothecosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of the fruit and vegetable rinse agent SunSmile® Fruit & Vegetable Rinse (Sunrider International) against P. zopfii isolates. The materials consisted of ten P. zopfii strains isolated from the milk of cows with mastitis. The following antifungal chemotherapeutic agents were also used in the study for comparison: nystatin, ketoconazole, amphothericin B, miconazole, clotrimazole, econazole, fluconazole, and flucytosine. The tube dilution method were used to evaluate the effect of a fruit and vegetable rinse agent and the disc-diffusion method to evaluate the effect of antifungal chemotherapeutic agents on P. zopfii strains. All tested strains of P. zopfii were susceptible to the action of the SunSmile® agent. The MMC was in the range of 0.0024–0.0190%. The SunSmile® Fruit & Vegetable Rinse can be used in prevention of mastitis in cows and in human protothecosis due to its safe, natural composition and efficacy.