Free Republic

Honey has exceptional antimicrobial and tissue-regenerative properties which should be exploited to the full to help wounds heal, say scientists. The sweet substance, the researchers say, is offering an alternative to conventional antimicrobial drugs which are increasingly becoming ineffective in the face of growing resistance. However, more work, say the researchers, is needed to identify and quantify the compounds that give honey its antimicrobial and wound healing properties to make it more reliable and standardized. Honey has been mainly used as a topical application on wounds for its antibacterial properties, resulting from its ability to generate hydrogen peroxide and the...

Australian researchers have been astonished to discover a cure-all right under their noses — a honey sold in health food shops as a natural medicine. Far from being an obscure health food with dubious healing qualities, new research has shown the honey kills every type of bacteria scientists have thrown at it, including the antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” plaguing hospitals and killing patients around the world. Some bacteria have become resistant to every commonly prescribed antibacterial drug. But scientists found that Manuka honey, as it is known in New Zealand, or jelly bush honey, as it is known in Australia, killed every...

Manuka honey may kill bacteria by destroying key bacterial proteins. Dr Rowena Jenkins and colleagues from the University of Wales Institute - Cardiff investigated the mechanisms of manuka honey action and found that its anti-bacterial properties were not due solely to the sugars present in the honey. The work was presented this week (7-10 September), at the Society for General Microbiology's meeting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was grown in the laboratory and treated with and without manuka honey for four hours. The experiment was repeated with sugar syrup to determine if the effects seen were...

Amid growing concern over drug-resistant superbugs and nonhealing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic — honey — is making a comeback.< >He said the Medihoney dressing can also prevent the dangerous drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA from infecting open wounds. "It's been used on wounds where nothing else will work," said biochemist Peter Molan, a professor at the University of Waikato in New Zealand who has researched honey and other natural antibiotics for 25 years.He's found manuka honey can kill the toughest bacteria even when diluted 10 times and recommends it especially for people with weak immune...