APIMEDICA Presentation: The Antimicrobial Effect of Romanian and Japanese Honey on Oral Pathogens

APIMEDICA 2006, October 12-15, 2006, Athens, Greece
Presenter: Cristina Mateescu, Institute for Beekeeping Research & Development, Bucharest, Romania

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial potential on oral streptococci of several samples of acacia honeys from Romania, Japan and the manuka honey from New Zealand.

The method used was Broth Macro-dilution Method. Honey was diluted in a series of tubes with liquid culture medium (Brain Heart Infusion broth – Becton Dickinson, USA), resulting serial dilutions (50%; 15%; 10%; 5%).
A tube containing only broth was included as a growth control.
As inocula - a 3 hours culture in broth of Streptococcus anginosus isolates from oral abscesses was used.

Before being tested for their antibacterial activity, the amount of poly-phenols (phenolic acids and flavonoids) in the various sorts of honey was analyzed by HPLC with UV detection.

Conclusions:

1. There is a good correlation between certain phenolic compounds concentration in honey and its anti-bacterial effects, particularly when gallic, ferulic, cinammic acids and quercetin are concerned.

2. All these compounds are almost always present in acacia honeys. Specific patterns are seen for Japanese acacia and Romanian acacia.

3. According to this study, the good antibacterial action of honey against oral pathogens, indicated by the low inhibitory concentration and bactericidal concentration values against such strains as Streptococcus anginosus, recommends the Romanian sorts of honey as good quality natural products, with certain antimicrobial features.

4. These proved qualities could be used in preparing several products with direct protective action at the level of oral mucosa.

Lozenges, syrups or the simple domestic use of acacia honey or chewing acacia honey in comb, are but a few possibilities to use acacia honey.

These properties are proving efficient application of honey as a collyrium in various puss-producing infections at the level of the eye annexa.