Indigenous Reduction of Multi-drug Resistant Bacterial Pathogens in a Natural Uncontrolled Fermented Milk Ecosystem

Abstract Raw milk and its products have been questioned for microbiological safety. However, Dahi: an artisanally fermented milk product that is yet microbiologically unexplored is popularly known for therapeutic uses in public. Aiming safety and therapeutic assessment of dahi, samples of raw milk and dahi were analysed for microbiology and bacterial pathogens. The pathogens were also evaluated for antibiotic resistance. Further dahi samples were assessed for antipathogen effect. The total bacterial count of raw milk was between 3.80 × 10 02 to 2.97 × 10 07 and total fungal count was 2.50 × 10 01 to 4.90 × 10 02 whereas total bacterial and fungal count of Dahi was 3.00 × 10 01 to 4.05 × 10 09 and 2.00 × 10 01 to 5.30 × 10 07 . Bacterial population of the Dahi was found dominated by lactic acid bacteria. In milk samples, E. coli was detected as 38%, S. aureus 28%, L. monocytogenes 3%, Salmonella 42% and Pseudomonas spp 31%. In Dahi samples, their percentages were 7%, 10%, 7%, 8% and 2% respectively. The detected pathogens were found resistant against different antibiotics especially to third and fourth generations of cephalosporin and other beta-lactam drugs. When assessed invitro, the low incidence of pathogens in the Dahi samples were associated to its inhibitory effect against pathogens. Dahi samples also inhibited the growth of antibiotic resistance ATCC strains. The inhibitory activity of the Dahi is due to the changes occurs during fermentation but not corelated to the pH of the Dahi.