A Non-Antibiotic Pectin–Morin–Quercetin Intramammary Therapy For Mild Clinical Mastitis In Dairy Cows

Clinical mastitis remains one of the major health and economic challenges in dairy herds, while the global effort to reduce antimicrobial use has increased interest in effective non-antibiotic intramammary therapies. This study evaluated the efficacy of an intramammary formulation containing pectin, morin, and quercetin (PMQ) in dairy cows with mild to moderate clinical mastitis. Seventy-two multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows from a single commercial farm with confirmed intramammary infection caused by Escherichia coli or Streptococcus uberis were randomly assigned to receive PMQ once daily for seven days, a standard antibiotic treatment (positive control), or phosphate-buffered saline (negative control). Clinical signs and somatic cell counts (SCC) were monitored at 24-h intervals over a 7-day period. No improvement was observed in the negative control group. Both PMQ and the antibiotic treatment resulted in a significant reduction in somatic cell score beginning at approximately 72 h. Clinical recovery progressed in parallel with SCC reduction, with the antibiotic group showing the lowest probability of persistent inflammation; however, PMQ demonstrated a clear therapeutic effect superior to the negative control. These findings suggest that PMQ may represent a promising non-antibiotic intramammary option for the management of mild clinical mastitis, particularly in the context of efforts to promote responsible antibiotic use.