Honey Boosts Antibiotic Susceptibility

Antibiotic-specific differences in the response of Staphylococcus aureus to treatment with antimicrobials combined with manuka honey

Front Microbiol. 2015 Jan 27;5:779

Skin infections caused by antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus are a significant health problem worldwide; often associated with high treatment cost and mortality rate. Complex natural products like New Zealand (NZ) manuka honey have been revisited and studied extensively as an alternative to antibiotics due to their potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and the inability to isolate honey-resistant S. aureus. Previous studies showing synergistic effects between manuka-type honeys and antibiotics have been demonstrated against the growth of one methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain.

We have previously demonstrated strong synergistic activity between NZ manuka-type honey and rifampicin against growth and biofilm formation of multiple S. arueus strains. Here, we have expanded our investigation using multiple S. aureus strains and four different antibiotics commonly used to treat S. aureus-related skin infections: rifampicin, oxacillin, gentamicin, and clindamycin. Using checkerboard microdilution and agar diffusion assays with S. aureus strains including clinical isolates and MRSA we demonstrate that manuka-type honey combined with these four antibiotics frequently produces a synergistic effect. In some cases when synergism was not observed, there was a significant enhancement in antibiotic susceptibility. Some strains that were highly resistant to an antibiotic when present alone become sensitive to clinically achievable concentrations when combined with honey. However, not all of the S. aureus strains tested responded in the same way to these combinational treatments.

Our findings support the use of NZ manuka-type honeys in clinical treatment against S. aureus-related infections and extend their potential use as an antibiotic adjuvant in combinational therapy. Our data also suggest that manuka-type honeys may not work as antibiotic adjuvants for all strains of S. aureus, and this may help determine the mechanistic processes behind honey synergy.

Manuka Honey May Help Treat Cystic Fibrosis Infections

A demonstration of the susceptibility of clinical isolates obtained from cystic fibrosis patients to manuka honey

Arch Microbiol. 2015 Feb 14

Pseudomonas and Burkholderia pose a significant health threat to people with chronic respiratory conditions; the resistance inherent in these bacteria indicates that new antimicrobial strategies are required. Susceptibility of 56 strains of P. aeruginosa and 55 strains of Burkholderia to manuka honey, tobramycin and colistin using microbroth dilution and E strip was determined. MICs of antibiotics with honey were determined to search for synergistic combinations against two representative strains of each genus. All strains exhibited susceptibility to honey ≤10 % (w/v); mean susceptibility of Burkholderia (4.6 % w/v) was lower than P. aeruginosa (7.3 % w/v). Synergistic or additive combinations were found with all four strains tested. Combinations of manuka honey with antibiotics can be used to lower the MIC need to successfully inhibit both P. aeruginosa and B. cepacia. The use of honey as a combination agent may be possible for the management of P. aeruginosa and B. cepacia.

Wellington Global to launch BeeBio skincare range on Singapore Airlines

The Moodie Report, 2/12/15

Singapore Airlines has partnered with Australian company Wellington Global to launch the BeeBio skincare range in travel retail. The airline will carry the products from March 2015.

As reported, the company, owner of jewellery brand Pica LéLa, recently added the organic Manuka Honey and Bee Venom skincare brand to its travel retail portfolio.

New Zealand-owned and made, BeeBio features medical-grade 16+ active Manuka Honey and bee venom as core ingredients, helping to stimulate new skill cell growth and the production of natural collagen and elastin...

Honey Helps Reduce Dental Plaque

Comparative evaluation of honey, chlorhexidine gluconate (0.2%) and combination of xylitol and chlorhexidine mouthwash (0.2%) on the clinical level of dental plaque: A 30 days randomized control trial

Perspect Clin Res. 2015 Jan-Mar;6(1):53-7

AIM:

To compare the effect of honey, chlorhexidine mouthwash and combination of xylitol chewing gum and chlorhexidine mouthwash on the dental plaque level.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Ninety healthy dental students, both male and female, aged between 21 to 25 years participated in the study. The subjects were randomly divided into three groups, i.e. the honey group, the chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash group and the combination of xylitol chewing gum and chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash group. The data was collected at the baseline, 15(th) day and 30(th) day; the plaque was disclosed using disclosing solution and their scores were recorded at six sites per tooth using the Quigley and Hein plaque index modified by Turesky-Gilmore-Glickman. Statistical analysis was carried out later to compare the effect of all the three groups. P ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS:

Our result showed that all the three groups were effective in reducing the plaque but post-hoc LSD (Least Significant Difference) showed that honey group and chlorhexidine + xylitol group were more effective than chlorhexidine group alone. The results demonstrated a significant reduction of plaque indices in honey group and chlorhexidine + xylitol group over a period of 15 and 30 days as compared to chlorhexidine.

Honey Speeds Up the Healing of Split-Open Wounds

Honey and wound dehiscence: A study of surgical wounds in the mandibular bed

Niger J Clin Pract. 2015 Mar-Apr;18(2):251-5

BACKGROUND:

There is a paucity of literature on the use of honey in wound healing after oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the efficacy of the healing properties of Obudu honey in patients who developed wound dehiscence after segmental mandibular resections.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

This was a prospective study of 72 patients who had benign lesions of the mandible, and were treated by segmental mandibular resection, with the surgical wounds developing dehiscence. The subjects were randomized into two treatment groups of A (control, n = 36) and B (experimental, n = 36). Unlike the control, the wounds in the experimental group were dressed in honey after debridement.

RESULTS:

The ages of the patients ranged from 21 to 73 years with a mean age of 46.3 ± 2.1 years while the male: female ratio was 3:1. There was no significant demographic difference about age ( P = 0.44) and gender ( P = 0.38) between the two groups. The smaller the initial circumference of the surgical wound, the shorter the duration of healing and this was significant ( P = 0.001) in either of the treatment groups. Numerically, more healing was completed in the first 5 weeks in subjects in the experimental group ( n = 19, 52.8%) than the control ( n = 13, 36.1%). However, the duration of healing between the subjects in the control and experimental groups at the end of 9 weeks showed no significant difference ( P = 0.23).

CONCLUSION:

Honey speeds up the healing of dehiscence wounds of resected mandible when used as dressing more than the control.

Call for Papers - German Apitherapy Congress, Passau, 27-29 March, 2015

Dear Bee and Apitherapy Friends,

We are receiving daily new proposals for oral and poster presentations to our XIII-th. German Apitherapy Congress with international participation, IBB Hotel, Passau, March 27-29 (31), this year.

As we are still in the preparatory phase, and the program is not yet final, you still can send us your papers, to be presented: a) orally; b) as posters, in our electronic Congress Proceedings.

We remind all our friends that the registration to our Apitherapy Congresses is free of charge for all our speakers/authors.

We highly appreciate, respect and honor the knowledge and friendship our congress participants are offering to all of us.

Please visit : http://www.apitherapie.de/en/dab-ev/api-kongress-2015-in-passau.html  and then think how you can participate to our international event.

Feel free to send us any questions you might have!

Also, please kindly forward this message to all your best friends and contacts, including in your own websites and in Facebook.

THANKS in advance!

Yours all,

Dr Stefan Stangaciu

President of the Romanian and German Apitherapy Societies.
Secretary General of the International Federation of Apitherapy

E-mail: drstangaciu@gmail.com + drstangaciu@apitherapy.com
www.Apitherapy.com + www.Apitherapie.de + www.apiterapie.ro
Skype ID: dr.stefan.stangaciu
http://www.facebook.com/drstangaciu
Mobile phone: (+)40-744-40.91.26

Apitherapist to Speak at Meeting of New York City Beekeepers Association

Monday, February 23, 2015
7- 8:30 p.m.
Seafarers & International House
123 E 15th St New York, NY, 10003 United States
 
Our February meeting features apitherapy expert Dr. Patrick Fratellone. Apitherapy, or the use of bee venom, is widely used in other countries for a multitude of diseases. The discussion will include who is an appropiate referral for therapy as well as the conditions that apitherapy is used for. Dr. Fratellone will focus on different disease states which have shown beneficial results.

Dr. Fratellone is an internist/cardiologist as well a registered herbalist with the American Herbal Guild (AHG). He completed a Fellowship of Integrative Medicine under the direction of Andrew Weil, MD at the University of Arizona. He is also a board member of the American Apitherapy Society (AAS).

Propolis - The Natural Antibiotic for MRSA, Candida, and More

ProHealth, 2/6/2015

Bacterial infections have become extremely difficult to treat because of the over-prescription of antibiotics. This has led to resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, H. pylori, and other dangerous bacteria. Finding an answer to synthetic antibiotics is a must. One of the best answers is propolis. This bioflavonoid-rich nutrient provides strong defense against bacteria, viruses, and many other health challenges. The properties of this natural wonder have been wellstudied around the world for many health concern and conditions:

• Stops harmful, resistant bacteria, including MRSA and Candida
• Fights viral infection
• Reduces inflammation
• Fights tumor formation
• Stops free radical damage...

Thai Honeys May Help Treat Skin Diseases

Activities of different types of Thai honey on pathogenic bacteria causing skin diseases, tyrosinase enzyme and generating free radicals

Biol Res. 2015 Jan 16;48(1):4

BACKGROUND:

Honey is a natural product obtained from the nectar that is collected from flowers by bees. It has several properties, including those of being food and supplementary diet, and it can be used in cosmetic products. Honey imparts pharmaceutical properties since it has antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Thai honey were investigated in this study.

RESULTS:

The honey from longan flower (source No. 1) gave the highest activity on MRSA when compared to the other types of honey, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 12.5% (v/v) and minimum bactericidal concentration of 25% (v/v).

CONCLUSIONS:

Honey demonstrates tremendous potential as a useful source that provides anti-free radicals, anti-tyrosinase and anti-bacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria causing skin diseases.

Bee Product-Based Beauty Products

Bee beautiful: Our favourite beauty buys courtesy of honey bees

Closer, 4 February 2015

From Beeswax to Manuka Honey - here are our favourite beauty products brought to us by busy bees.

Honey Before Bedtime Shown to Diminish Cough in Children

Honey for Treatment of Cough in Children 

Canadian Family Physician, December 2014   vol. 60  no. 12  1107-1110

Question 

Cough is a very common presentation among sick children in my clinic. There is almost no day without a child being examined for upper respiratory tract infection and cough. While I understand that no medications are recommended for relief of cough—prescribed or over the counter—is it true that honey might help relieve cough symptoms in children?

Answer 

Most prescribed and over-the-counter preparations for cough in children are not effective and might carry the risk of adverse events. A single dose of honey before bedtime was shown in recent studies to diminish cough and the discomfort experienced by children and their parents. Recent evidence also supports administering a few daily doses, but this practice will need further study to assess its effectiveness and safety.

Apitherapy Tourism in Slovenia

A Fusion of Apiculture & Sustainable Travel

Some people call it Natural. Others call it Green. We call it Api (from the Latin apis which means bee). ApiRoutes provides an opportunity to experience the mystical world of bees. Not only to learn about the medicinal properties of the different bee products, but to get as close to bees as you want.

As a visitor on an api tour, beekeepers will invite you to enter an oversizedbee house, where you can listen to the relaxing buzz of the bees, which has been proven to have a positive effect on a person’s state of mind. In Slovenia, a country of unique apiculture with a long beekeeping tradition, the beekeepers place beds within bee houses, thereby transforming it into an apitherapeutic chamber. Apitherapy is the use of hive products such as propolis, royal jelly, beeswax, and pollen. In this chamber, you are invited to inhale the healing warm beehive air.

In the bee house, you can enjoy an organic honey massage or thermotherapy whereupon warm wraps of beeswax are laid on your body, allowing beeswax and propolis to dissolve in your skin, which benefits the musculoskeletal system. Sounds divine! All while enjoying the sweet and soothing fragrance of the hives and listening to their buzz. It is believed that pollen allergies for instance can be cured by regularly inhaling a beehive…

New Zealand Café Features Apitherapy Items on Menu

Cafe Restore

Bay of Plenty Times, 2/2/2015

Inside the amazing Experience Comvita at the home of Comvita's head office in Paengaroa you will find Cafe Restore.

Experience Comvita is the only place in the world where, in absolute safety, you can enter a virtual beehive to learn the fascinating facts about bees and nature's intelligence. Immerse yourself in a unique voyage of discovery, see the world through the eyes of the amazing honeybee and be reminded of nature's wisdom.

Cafe Restore continues the overall theme of Comvita as a place to reconnect and restore. The cafe is light and bright with many quirky bee-themed influences, a highlight being the beehive-inspired wall. The food is influenced by the abundance of quality local ingredients.

The menu puts an emphasis on freshness; you will feel like you are eating wellness. Try one of their delicious smoothies: the Buzzy Bee is a mix of organic milk, bee pollen and Manuka honey, the Cherry Chocolate Delight is made with cherries, banana, Manuka honey, cocoa powder and almond milk…

Bee Venom Shows Anticancer and Antiviral Effects

Honeybee venom possesses anticancer and antiviral effects by differential inhibition of HPV E6 and E7 expression on cervical cancer cell line

Oncol Rep. 2015 Jan 28

Bee venom (BV) therapy is a type of alternative medical treatment used to treat various diseases in oriental medicine. The mechanisms underlying the effects of BV remain poorly understood.

In the present study, we evaluated the antiviral effect of BV on cervical carcinoma cell lines (CaSki, HeLa, C33A and TC-1). BV treatments resulted in a more significant suppression of cell growth in HPV 16-infected cells (CaSki) and a lesser suppression in HPV 18-infected cells (HeLa). However, less suppression was observed in HPV-negative C33A cells. In 10 µg/ml BV-treated CaSki cells, the mRNA expression and protein levels of HPV16 E6 and E7 were significantly decreased by BV, while HPV18 E6 and E7 mRNA expression levels were not significantly altered by 10 µg/ml BV-treated HeLa cells.

The antitumor effects of BV were in accordance with in vitro data, in restricting tumor growth in vivo and were much more effective on the suppression of tumor growth. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression levels of HPV16 E6 and E7 were decreased by BV in TC-1 tumors.

These findings demonstrated the antiviral effects of BV in HPV-infected cervical cancer cells and the anticancer effects of BV in HPV16 E6/E7-expressed TC-1 tumors.

Collectively, BV plays a differential role in suppressing HPV16-infected cells (CaSki cells) and HPV18-infected cells (HeLa cells) by the downregulation of E6/E7 protein of HPV16/18.

Honey Prototypes Show Antimicrobial Activity

The antimicrobial activity of prototype modified honeys that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) hydrogen peroxide

BMC Res Notes. 2015 Jan 28;8(1):20

Background

Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a global issue in healthcare organisations. Honey has long been shown to possess wound healing and antimicrobial properties that are dependent on a number of physical and chemical properties of the honey. We tested the antimicrobial activity of a medicinal honey, Surgihoney® (SH) and two prototype modified honeys made by Apis mellifera (honeybee) against Staphylococcus aureus (NCIMB 9518). We also examined the modified honey prototypes for the ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) by changing the level of production of hydrogen peroxide from the samples.

Methods

Surgihoney® (SH) was compared with two modified honeys, Prototype 1 (PT1) and Prototype 2 (PT2) using a bioassay method against a standard strain of Staphylococcus aureus. Further work studied the rate of generation of ROS hydrogen peroxide from these preparations.

Results

Surgihoney® antimicrobial activity was shown to be largely due to ROS hydrogen peroxide production. By modification of Surgihoney®, two more potent honey prototypes were shown to generate between a two- and three-fold greater antibacterial activity and up to ten times greater ROS peroxide activity.

Conclusions

Surgihoney® is a clinically available wound antiseptic dressing that shows good antimicrobial activity. Two further honey prototypes have been shown to have antimicrobial activity that is possible to be enhanced due to demonstrated increases in ROS peroxide activity.