Evaluation of bacteriological quality of buffalo milk produced in rural areas of South Gujarat, India

Abstract

India is a major contributor to the global dairy industry. Hence, the evaluation of buffalo milk quality is a matter of paramount importance. Multistage cluster sampling methods were implemented in collecting buffalo milk samples from rural areas of South Gujarat. Buffalo milk was collected from villages in Navsari, Surat, Valsad, Bardoli, Vyara and Vapi. The collection of the milk was done in sterilised bottles. A total of 51 samples were collected from the villages at various times of day. Serial dilution was done, and the pour plate method was used to plate the bacteria on nutrient agar. Enteric bacterial isolates were characterised using molecular tools involving DNA extraction, 16S rRNA gene amplification (PCR), gel electrophoresis, and sequencing. MEGA 7 software that uses 16S rRNA genes to produce phylogenetic trees was also applied. The isolated and identified bacteria were Providencia vermicola, Proteus cibarius, Enterobacter cloacae strain 1, Enterobacter cloacae strain 2, and Atlantibacter hermannii. Most of these enteric bacteria isolated are opportunistic pathogens. It is recommended that the practice of consuming raw milk should be discouraged through education. Active sanitation in buffalo farms is also recommended.