Antibacterial activity of Manuka honey and its components: An overview

Matthew Johnston; Michael McBride; Divakar Dahiya; Richard Owusu-Apenten; Poonam Singh Nigam; Matthew Johnston; Michael McBride; Divakar Dahiya; Richard Owusu-Apenten; Poonam Singh Nigam

doi:10.3934/microbiol.2018.4.655

AIMS Microbiology

2018, Volume 4, Issue 4: 655-664. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2018.4.655

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Review

Antibacterial activity of Manuka honey and its components: An overview

1.
Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, UK
2.
Department of Clinical Sciences and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Life Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK

Received: 12 September 2018 Accepted: 22 November 2018 Published: 27 November 2018

The importance of honey for medicinal purposes is well documented in some of the world’s oldest literature. Honey is well known and studied for its antimicrobial properties. The medicinal properties in honey originate from the floral source used by bees. Manuka honey is a dark monofloral honey rich in phenolic content, and currently it is gaining much attention for its antimicrobial activity. Researchers have found that honey is effective against a wide range of pathogens. The antibacterial potency of Manuka honey was found to be related to the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) rating, which is correlated with the methylglyoxal and total phenols content. It is reported that different types of Manuka honey have differing effects and Gram-negative bacteria are more resistant than Gram-positive bacteria. Bacterial resistance to honey as antimicrobial agent has yet to be identified, possibly due to the presence of a complex mixture of methylglyoxal and other components. Honey is also reported to alter a bacterium’s shape and size through septal ring alteration, which affects cell morphology and growth. Research has shown that Manuka honey of different UMF values has medicinal properties of interest and it can be beneficial when used as a combination treatment with other antimicrobial agents.
- Manuka honey,
- infection,
- bacteria,
- antibacterial,
- UMF,
- methylglyoxal,
- bacterial resistance
Citation: Matthew Johnston, Michael McBride, Divakar Dahiya, Richard Owusu-Apenten, Poonam Singh Nigam. Antibacterial activity of Manuka honey and its components: An overview[J]. AIMS Microbiology, 2018, 4(4): 655-664. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2018.4.655

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Abstract

The importance of honey for medicinal purposes is well documented in some of the world’s oldest literature. Honey is well known and studied for its antimicrobial properties. The medicinal properties in honey originate from the floral source used by bees. Manuka honey is a dark monofloral honey rich in phenolic content, and currently it is gaining much attention for its antimicrobial activity. Researchers have found that honey is effective against a wide range of pathogens. The antibacterial potency of Manuka honey was found to be related to the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) rating, which is correlated with the methylglyoxal and total phenols content. It is reported that different types of Manuka honey have differing effects and Gram-negative bacteria are more resistant than Gram-positive bacteria. Bacterial resistance to honey as antimicrobial agent has yet to be identified, possibly due to the presence of a complex mixture of methylglyoxal and other components. Honey is also reported to alter a bacterium’s shape and size through septal ring alteration, which affects cell morphology and growth. Research has shown that Manuka honey of different UMF values has medicinal properties of interest and it can be beneficial when used as a combination treatment with other antimicrobial agents.

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