Sahar Mustafa1*, M. Ijaz Saleem1, Sara Shahid2, Mudassar Nazar3, Fazeela Zaka4, Qari M. Kaleem5, Asif Ali Butt6, Ashar Mahfooz1, Saleha Tahir7 and Arslan Muhammad Ali Khan7
1Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad; 2Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore; 3University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Constituent College Burewala; 4Institute of Animals and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 5Centers of Excellence in Science and Applied Technology (CESAT); 6Ripah International University (Faisalabad campus), Pakistan; 7Department of Parasitology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: saharmustafa30@gmail.com
Bovine mastitis is a disease of cows and buffaloes, mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which not only affects milk production but also causes enormous economic losses. Various antibiotics have been used for their treatment, but due to long-term and inappropriate use, resistance has developed in S. aureus to these drugs. That’s why mostly plant essential oils have been used as an alternative treatment against S. aureus for the treatment of this disease. Moreover, essential oils from various plants have been shown to exhibit different antibacterial activities against S. aureus isolated from mastitic cows and buffaloes (bovine mastitis) at different concentrations. Furthermore, these plant-derived essential oils contain various compounds, and their combined effect makes it difficult for bacteria to develop resistance to these oils. These essential oils also exert their antibacterial activity against S. aureus by disrupting cell membrane integrity, decreasing metabolic activity, and diminishing energy production. This results in the leakage of cellular components and insufficient ATP production, which leads to bacterial cell death. This review discusses the importance of plant essential oils relative to antibiotics for treating S. aureus. It also explains the antibacterial activity of different plant-derived essential oils at various concentrations and under different conditions against Staphylococcus aureus isolated from mastitic cows and buffaloes. Limitations of these essential oils are also briefly described here.