Antimicrobial Activity of Fermented Milk Containing Various Aqueous Herbal Extracts

Abstract

Bovine milk has been an inordinate source of nutrition for majority of vegetarian population. The milk obtained from the “Him achali Pahari cow” of the hill region has been a boon not only in providing health benefits but also in improving the socio-economic status of the farming community. However, due to inaccessibility and geographical barriers, benefits of the Himachali Pahari cow milk are limited to certain regions only. Hence, the present study was conducted with the objective to investigate the antimicrobial potential of the fermented milk supplemented with various herbal extracts of harad (Terminalia chebula), baheda (Terminalia bellirica), amla (Emblica officinalis) and arjuna (Terminalia arjuna). Antimicrobial activity of herbal extracts supplemented fermented milk was evaluated against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Rhodococcus equi, and Shigella flexneri. The fermented milk supplemented with aqueous harad extracts was found to be most effective against B. cereus and R. equi. Pepsin digested fermented milk supplemented with amla and arjuna exhibited comparable antimicrobial activity against R. equi. Results of the present study indicated that supplementation of fermented milk with various aqueous herbal extracts can enhance its antimicrobial potential and can be useful in boosting the immunity against various microbial infections.