Study: Antibiotics Showed Less Antibacterial Activity Than Honey

In Vitro Anti-Staphylococcal Activity of Honey and Two Standard Antibiotics (Cloxacillin and Ampicillin)
Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters - vol. XX - n. 1 - March 2007

Summary: Fifty bacterial isolates comprising Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus albus from six pathological sources were exposed to honey and its fractional dilutions as also as to two standard antibiotics - cloxacillin (5 mg/ml) and ampicillin (10 mg/ml) - in an agar-cup diffusion sensitivity test.

The undiluted honey showed antibacterial activity against almost 100% of the bacterial isolates while its 1:2 to 1:10 fractional dilutions also had antibacterial property against the isolates in decreasing order of activity.

Cloxacillin recorded higher antibacterial activity than ampicillin but both exerted less antibacterial activity than honey. The therapeutic application of honey, following clinical trials, should be of relevance in treating bacterial infections and, in particular, those due to the two Staphylococcus species tested.