Thursday, August 28, 2008

New Zealand Firm Launches Honey-Based Antibacterial Patch

Honey of an Idea for Treating Wounds
By Nikki Preston, Waikato Times (New Zealand), 2/27/2008

Sugar may be a diabetic's worst enemy but honey could be their best friend, thanks to a manuka-based antibacterial patch launched in New Zealand this month.

Bay of Plenty-based honey company Comvita has spent five years developing the dressing, which contains manuka honey gelled with sodium alginate an ingredient extracted from seaweed, after buying the patent off Waikato University in 2003. The patch was developed the Honey Research Unit at Waikato University…

Peter Molan, who leads the Honey Research Unit at Waikato University, said the patch could be used to heal chronic wounds such as foot ulcers and difficult to heal wounds caused by Type II diabetes. He has also developed a rating system that shows how manuka agents are effective antibacterial substances…

See Also: Dress Your Wound with Honey and Seaweed (The Economic Times, India)

Researchers Turn Honey Into Antiseptic (University of Waikato)

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