Journal of Alternative Veterinary Medicine, Kazerun Branch, Islamic Azad University,Vol.1, No.2, 2017 JOAVM, 2017;1(2): Inhibitory Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Mint Plant on Escherichia ColiIsolated fromLambs and Goat Kidswith Diarrheain Kazeroun Emadi, M. 1 ;Norouzi-Asl, A. *2 ;Fattahi,H. 3 1 Young and Elite Research Club, Kazerun Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kazerun, Iran; 2 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kazerun Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kazerun, Iran; 3Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kazerun Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kazerun, Iran. Corresponding Author:A. Norouzi, 2 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kazerun Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kazerun, Iran, Email: Nowroozia@yahoo.com (Received: June 10, 2017; Accepted: September 11, 2017) Abstract In spite of advances in the management and prevention techniques as well as strategies for diarrhea treatment, it is still a very common and costly disease affecting the small ruminants. The present study aimed at determining the prevalence of Escherichia coli (E.coli) in under 1 month old goat kidsand lambs with diarrhea in some livestock husbandries in Kazeroun city using culture method and utilizing herbal medicines instead of antibiotics. It has been done according to increasing use of antibiotics and consequently, an increase in antibiotic resistance and different susceptibility to E.coli in different areas in the world. In order to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of mint plant on goat kids and lambs diarrhea, 100 lambs and 100 goat kids with diarrhea were collected from sheep husbandries in Kazeroun. The enrichment media,selenite F Broth and MacConkeyAgar(Mac)were used for isolation.In this study, all isolated strains showed resistant against antibiotics as ampicillin and tetracycline, and were susceptible to antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, cefixime, ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin and chloramphenicol. The halo diameter formed by hydroalcoholic extract of mint was 10 mm, demonstrating a low susceptibility of this bacterium to the mint extract. Generally, the findings revealed that the hydroalcoholic extract of the mint hadantimicrobial properties and would be a good alternative to chemical drugs. Keywords:mint, Escherichia coli, diarrhea, lamb, goat kids, Kazeroun Introduction Despite the advances in the management and prevention techniques and strategies for diarrhea treatment, it is still a very common and costly disease which affects the small ruminants. A study conducted in a sheep testingcentrein America indicated that diarrhea was responsible for 46% of lambs’ fatality. Diarrhea in goat kidsand lambs is a multi-factorial and complex disease including animal, environment, nutrition, and infectious agents. The four main causes of diarrhea in these animals includeE.coli, rotaviruses, cryptosporidium strains and salmonella strains among which E.coli diarrhea is more prevalent. E. coliisanaturaland dominant bacterialflorain the mammals and birds’gastrointestinal tract, but most of their strains cause infection in human urinary system and their pathogenic strains are very important in digestive