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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet J / The antimicrobial activity of honey against common equine wo...
Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)2013; 199(1); 110-114; doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.07.003

The antimicrobial activity of honey against common equine wound bacterial isolates.

Abstract: Delayed healing associated with distal limb wounds is a particular problem in equine clinical practice. Recent studies in human beings and other species have demonstrated the beneficial wound healing properties of honey, and medical grade honey dressings are available commercially in equine practice. Equine clinicians are reported to source other non-medical grade honeys for the same purpose. This study aimed to assess the antimicrobial activity of a number of honey types against common equine wound bacterial pathogens. Twenty-nine honey products were sourced, including gamma-irradiated and non-irradiated commercial medical grade honeys, supermarket honeys, and honeys from local beekeepers. To exclude contaminated honeys from the project, all honeys were cultured aerobically for evidence of bacterial contamination. Aerobic bacteria or fungi were recovered from 18 products. The antimicrobial activity of the remaining 11 products was assessed against 10 wound bacteria, recovered from the wounds of horses, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eight products were effective against all 10 bacterial isolates at concentrations varying from <2% to 16% (v/v). Overall, the Scottish Heather Honey was the best performing product, and inhibited the growth of all 10 bacterial isolates at concentrations ranging from <2% to 6% (v/v). Although Manuka has been the most studied honey to date, other sources may have valuable antimicrobial properties. Since some honeys were found to be contaminated with aerobic bacteria or fungi, non-sterile honeys may not be suitable for wound treatment. Further assessment of gamma-irradiated honeys from the best performing honeys would be useful.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2013-08-17 PubMed ID: 23962613DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.07.003Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article explores the effectiveness of different types of honey in inhibiting the growth of bacteria commonly found in horse wounds. It concludes that Scottish Heather Honey performed best out of 29 tested, even though non-medical grade honeys are also in use by equine clinicians.

Objective of the Research

  • This study sought to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of various types of honey against bacteria typically found in horse wounds. The purpose was to find the most effective honey types and provide a basis for further assessment, particularly for those honeys that performed well.

Methodology

  • The researchers sourced 29 different honey products which included gamma-irradiated & non-irradiated commercial medical grade honeys, supermarket honeys, as well as honeys from local beekeepers.
  • All honeys were cultured aerobically to check for bacterial contamination. This process eliminated 18 products due to the presence of aerobic bacteria or fungi.
  • The remaining 11 honeys were tested against ten wound bacteria to measure their antimicrobial activity. The bacteria included some hard-to-treat strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Findings

  • Eight products were effective against all ten bacterial strains at concentrations ranging from 2% to 16% (v/v).
  • Scottish Heather Honey was found to be the best performing product. It was able to inhibit the growth of all ten bacterial isolates at concentrations ranging from 2% to 6% (v/v).

Conclusion and Recommendations

  • The study concluded that while Manuka honey has been the most studied honey for antimicrobial properties, other varieties still show strong antibacterial traits. The researchers emphasize that the potential of these other sources shouldn’t be overlooked.
  • Given that some honeys contained aerobic bacteria or fungi, the study also concluded that non-sterile honeys might not be suitable for wound treatment.
  • The study recommends that a further assessment of gamma-irradiated honeys from the best performing honeys would be beneficial for future research.

Cite This Article

APA
Carnwath R, Graham EM, Reynolds K, Pollock PJ. (2013). The antimicrobial activity of honey against common equine wound bacterial isolates. Vet J, 199(1), 110-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.07.003

Publication

Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
ISSN: 1532-2971
NlmUniqueID: 9706281
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 199
Issue: 1
Pages: 110-114

Researcher Affiliations

Carnwath, R
  • Weipers Centre for Equine Welfare, Division of Large Animal Sciences and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, G61 1QH Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Graham, E M
  • Division of Veterinary Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, G61 1QH Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Reynolds, K
  • Division of Veterinary Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, G61 1QH Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Pollock, P J
  • Weipers Centre for Equine Welfare, Division of Large Animal Sciences and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, G61 1QH Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: patrick.pollock@glasgow.ac.uk.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / drug effects
  • Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Bacterial Infections / veterinary
  • Bacteriological Techniques
  • Honey
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horses
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Wound Infection / microbiology
  • Wound Infection / veterinary

Citations

This article has been cited 25 times.
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