Testing the susceptibility to manuka honey of streptococci isolated from wound swabs

Abstract

Honey is a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent that has been re-introduced into clinical practice to treat wounds. Wounds support polymicrobial communities of bacteria that either colonise or infect wounds. Strains with resistance to antibiotics are difficult to eradicate and pose a risk of transfer to other patients. Manuka honey has been shown to inhibit many of the bacteria commonly associated with wounds, such as staphylococci, pseudomonads, coliforms and anaerobes, but its efficacy against streptococci isolated from wounds has not been reported. Using macro- and micro-dilution in broth and an agar incorporation technique, the susceptibility to manuka honey of 15 cultures of catalase negative, Gram positive cocci that had been isolated from wounds was tested. All cultures were inhibited by 10% (v/v) manuka honey and statistically significant differences between the three test methods were not found. Manuka honey offers clinical potential in eradicating streptococci from wounds.