Study: ‘Honey is Effective Against a Broad Range of Microorganisms’

WOUNDS Journal to Publish Study on Effective Antimicrobial Application of Manuka Honey-Based Product
Business Wire, 7/25/2007

PRINCETON, N.J., Jul 25, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Derma Sciences (DSCI) , a manufacturer and marketer of advanced wound care products, today announced that the September 2007 issue of the journal WOUNDS: A Compendium of Clinical Research and Practice (WOUNDS) will feature an article on the use of a manuka honey-based product as a topical antimicrobial for chronic and acute wounds and burns.

The article, "Medihoney(TM) Antibacterial Honey--in-vitro Activity Against Clinical Isolates of MRSA, VRE, and Other Multiresistant Gram-negative Organisms Including Pseudomonas aeruginosa" was written by Narelle May George, Supervising Scientist Queensland Health Pathology Service, Royal Brisbane Hospitals Campus, Herston, Queensland, Australia, and Keith F. Cutting, Tissue Viability Specialist, Harefield Hospital, Middlesex, Principal Lecturer - Tissue Viability, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, Chalfont St. Giles, UK.

The in-vitro study focuses on the antimicrobial effectiveness of a leading global brand of honey-based wound dressing, Medihoney(TM) (Medihoney Pty Ltd, Richlands, Australia). The product contains a blend of honeys, including Leptospermum honeys Manuka (from New Zealand) and its sister species Jelly Bush, from Australia. These Leptospermum honeys have been shown to provide strong, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity even in the presence of catalase--an enzyme present in wound fluid. Medihoney is owned by Comvita, Derma Sciences' partner in honey-based dressings, and is available in Europe, Australia, and South East Asia.

The abstract for the WOUNDS article by George NM and Cutting KF to be published in September is as follows:

"The clinical use of honey has received increasing interest in recent years, in particular as a topical antibacterial dressing. Results so far are extremely encouraging, demonstrating that honey is effective against a broad range of microorganisms including multiresistant strains. The in-vitro study reported here complements the work of others and focuses on the impact that a standardized honey can have on multiresistant bacteria that are regularly found in wounds and are responsible for increased morbidity."…