Effect of Moringa olifera Aqueous Extract on Food Poisoning Pathogens Isolated from Dairy Products

The high nutritional value of milk and dairy products renders them susceptible for bacterial contamination easily under the absence of hygienic practices and regulations. Therefore, a total of 100 random samples of milk and milk products (25 of each: raw milk, kareish cheese, processed cheese and ice cream) were collected from both Sharkia and Dakahlia Provinces, Egypt, for microbiological examinations. Staphylococcus. aureus and Pseudomonas. aeroginosa counts were performed using HiCrome™ Staph Selective Agar (Himedia, Mumbai) and Pseudomonas Agar Base (Himedia, Mumbai) with glycerol and CetriNix Supplement (Himedia, Mumbai) as a selective media. The obtained results revealed that the mean S. aureus counts in the examined raw milk, kariesh cheese, processed cheese and ice cream were 3.08x105±1.73x105, 3.20x105±2.80x105, 5.78x104±4.24x104 and 6.60x105±2.93x105 CFU/g, respectively; the mean Pseudomonas. aeruginosa counts in the examined raw milk, kariesh cheese, processed cheese and ice cream were 2.02x106±1.24x106, 1.85x104±8.80x104, 2.26x105±1.43x105 and 7.68x105±4.22x105 CFU/g, respectively According to the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS) all samples examined in this study exceeded the permissible limits of S. aureus counts reported in Egyptian Standards. The examined samples were not accepted for S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa count. In conclusion, the examined products revealed unsatisfactory hygienic measures. Therefore, strict hygienic practices should be adopted during processing of dairy products to improve the bacteriological quality of such products. Moringa olifera 0.05% aqueous extract showed antibacterial effect against S. aureus by 56.7% and 83.3% reduction percentage in examined yogurt at day one and day three, respectively, but no effect against Pseudomonas. aeruginosa.