Honey to fight superbugs

• April 25, 2024

In ancient times, honey It was considered as food of gods , not only for its exquisite taste, but for its properties healing . Even in Egyptian excavations with more than 2000 years honey samples perfectly preserved in slightly covered vessels were found. There are also prehistoric records in cave paintings of the use of honey. In addition to all this, the honey It turns out to be an effective tool to fight some of the infections bacterial more difficult to treat, such as those resistant to antibiotics more powerful.

A study conducted by scientists from the University of Wales in Cardiff, United Kingdom; demonstrated, through experiments carried out in the laboratory, that the honey It can clean the bacteria found in infected wounds and on contaminated surfaces in hospitals.

The teacher Rose Cooper , who presented his study at the annual conference of the Society for General Microbiology , which is held in Harrogate, England, ensures that: "Honey seems to act by decomposing defenses that bacteria use against antibiotics ".

Therefore, the researcher points out BBC World , honey can be a useful way to fight infections superbugs As the staphylococcus gold resistant to methylcyanide (EDRM).

The researchers studied the manuka honey , which is derived from the nectar collected by bees New Zealand in the manuka tree.

Fight the resistance

Nowadays, a purified form of manuka honey , specifically, has been included for a long time medicines that are sold in pharmacies around the world for the healing of wounds . However, until now, it is not known exactly what the mechanisms that give honey its properties antimicrobial and that's why the product has not been used properly.

To understand these mechanisms the teacher Cooper and his team investigated how honey interacted with three types of bacteria that commonly infect wounds. These are: the Pseudomonas aeruginosa , the streptococcus Group A and the staphylococcus Methicillin-resistant gold

The researchers discovered that honey can prevent the adherence of pseudomonas Y streptococci to the tissue, which is an essential step for the initiation of infections sharp . Avoiding this adhesion also blocks the formation of biofilms , which are thin layers that protect the microbe of antibiotics and allow you to cause persistent infections.

And the study, says the Professor Cooper , "also showed that honey can make EDRM more sensitive to antibiotics as the oxacillin , which means that he managed to reverse the resistance to these drugs ".

"This indicates that the antibiotics could be more effective against resistant infections if a combination of the drug is used with manuka honey ".

Medical grade

"What we need to do now is to study these combinations and carry out clinical trials in patients," adds the researcher. "The honey can be applied locally to the wound or used in combination with the antibiotic to treat resistant infections. "

The Professor Cooper warns, however, that people should not try to heal at home with honey bought at the supermarket.

"This is an unhygienic alternative and is not recommended, what we have been analyzing in our studies is a honey medical degree (purified), not the product that is bought in stores, "he says.

The finding, experts say, could lead to greater clinical use of honey at a time when the world faces the threat of a shortage of antimicrobial powerful to combat the growing resistance of bacteria.

"The use of topical agents such as honey to eradicate bacteria from wounds is potentially cheaper and could improve therapy antibiotic in the future "says the researcher.

"And this will help us reduce the transmission of resistant bacteria to the antibiotics of a colonized wound to the most susceptible patients, "he added.

Source: BBC World

Video Medicine: Using honey to stop superbugs in their tracks | Nural Cokcetin | TEDxYouth@Sydney (April 2024).