**7.1 Probiotics**

Recently, there is need to use other sources in order to reduce antibiotic administration because antibiotic administration is a major cause of lethal infections in dairy industry. Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in sufficient amount provides cure from diseases. The probiotics which prevent diseases are called as probiotic drugs. So, mammary probiotics are recently being used as alternatives to antibiotic for the treatment of mastitis. One of the most useful probiotics are LABs (lactic acid bacteria) which interferes with bacteria associated with mastitis, or interact with mammary epithelial cells. Many experiments were performed and claims the therapeutic and preventive effectiveness of probiotics [66]. Results evaluated by using lactic acid bacteria showed that LABs are pro-inflammatory for the mammary glands and it causes an influx of neutrophils into the milk and at drying off of animals. So, it provides protection against mastitis causing *S. aureus* and their ability to provide cure from mastitis remains to be established [67]. Probiotics interferes with the teat microbiota and prevents adherence and colonization of harmful bacteria with the teat canal. However, oral probiotics provides no cure, but intra mammary preparations can be used with caution to prevent mastitis [66].

Some strains of *Lactobacillus casei* and *weisella* produces some compounds which are active against persistence of *S. aureus* bacteria with the epithelial wall of udder tissues, and thus resisting *S. aureus* bacterial pathogenicity by producing hydrogen peroxide, competing nutritional components, changing of host immune system and its utilization. Prolong use of these probiotics and their metabolites seems to be effective alternatives for the control and prevention of mastitis [66, 68].

There are many mechanisms which explain the mode of action of probiotics.


Different experiments are going on to unmask the details of action mechanism of probiotics in mastitis alongside boosting up the welfare and production aspects of the animals [67, 69].

#### **7.2 Prebiotics**

Antibacterial properties of prebiotics were studied *invitro*. To investigate further efficacy against bacteria studies were conducted in lab animals and their success for treatment and to prevent against bacteria was determined by evaluating liver

Staphylococcus aureus *and Dairy Udder DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95864*

enzymes (aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase), bacterial colony count of liver and lungs, and also histological changes. In some studies, raisin was used as prebiotic. But it was less effective than others. So, prebiotics are less effective against *S. aureus* than other things [70]. Synbiotics are also tested against mastitis causing bacteria. Especially, these are more effective against *E. coli* and *listeri*a but less effective against *S. aureus* which is highly resistive to the synergistic effect [66, 70].
