Beneficial bacteria and plant extracts: a promising synergy in the therapy of equine skin diseases

Equine pastern dermatitis is a multifactorial disease associated with changes in the skin microbiome. The disease has various causes and clinical manifestations, so there is no universal treatment. Beneficial bacteria and medicinal plants have a high potential in terms of their antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant biofilm-forming pathogens. Combining the effect of extracts from medicinal plants, beneficial bacteria, or their bioactive products could be a new approach to dermatitis therapy. The project initially studies the composition of the skin microbiota of healthy horses. The main aim of the project is to determine the inhibitory effect of beneficial bacteria and plant extracts against antibiotic-resistant biofilm-forming skin pathogens. The knowledge gained could help in the future to develop more effective preparations based on beneficial bacteria and plant extracts, that could be used in veterinary medicine and the cosmetics industry.