Manuka Honey Can Comprehensively Kill Common Pathogens Associated with Infected Wounds

Comprehensive In Situ Killing of Six Common Wound Pathogens With Manuka Honey Dressings Using a Modified AATCC-TM100

Wounds. 2017 Jun 28. pii: WNDS20170628-1

OBJECTIVE:

While Manuka honey in vitro is strongly antimicrobial, there have been, to the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies showing that dressings impregnated with Manuka honey can kill organisms in the dressing itself.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The investigators used the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists' 100 test methodology to compare honey-impregnated dressings with control dressings (without honey) on the ability to kill common wound pathogens. Organisms were chosen after a review of the causal organisms found in actual wound infections over a 12-month period in a busy outpatient wound clinic.

RESULTS:

Even when the dressings were challenged daily with further inoculated organisms, > 5-log reductions were routinely noted across a range of pathogens, including multiple drug-resistant species using dressings containing Manuka honey relative to the control.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results presented herein show that when well-characterized medical-grade Manuka honey is used in dressings (ie, a minimum of 400 mg methylglyoxal/kg) these dressings can comprehensively kill common wound pathogens associated with infected wounds.

OBJECTIVE:

While Manuka honey in vitro is strongly antimicrobial, there have been, to the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies showing that dressings impregnated with Manuka honey can kill organisms in the dressing itself.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The investigators used the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists' 100 test methodology to compare honey-impregnated dressings with control dressings (without honey) on the ability to kill common wound pathogens. Organisms were chosen after a review of the causal organisms found in actual wound infections over a 12-month period in a busy outpatient wound clinic.

RESULTS:

Even when the dressings were challenged daily with further inoculated organisms, > 5-log reductions were routinely noted across a range of pathogens, including multiple drug-resistant species using dressings containing Manuka honey relative to the control.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results presented herein show that when well-characterized medical-grade Manuka honey is used in dressings (ie, a minimum of 400 mg methylglyoxal/kg) these dressings can comprehensively kill common wound pathogens associated with infected wounds.