Antibacterial Activity of Honey against Methicillin-Resistant and Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated from Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Abstract

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is the most important causative agent of wound infections, including diabetic foot ulcers. Honey is a very useful nutrient with antimicrobial properties and other biological properties such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties. The aim was to examine the antibacterial activity of honey against methicillin-resistant and sensitive S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA) isolated from patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed from January 2019 to December 2019. Twenty S. aureus isolates were collected from patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Different concentrations (100%, 70%, 50%, 25% vol/vol) of honey were studied. Dilutions of honey solutions were examined to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against S. aureus. MICs were determined by spectrophotometric assay at 620 nm. Results: All strains showed sensitivity to honey with MIC equal to 25% (vol/vol). The MIC (%) values of honey for all studied S. aureus (MRSA and MSSA) isolates ranged between 18-100% (v/v). Conclusion: Honey with confirmed, antibacterial activity has the potential to be an efficient treatment complementary for diabetic foot ulcers infected or at risk of infection with S. aureus.

Relationships among Hydrogen Peroxide Concentration, Catalase, Glucose Oxidase, and Antimicrobial Activities of Honeys

“…Other studies [49] presented inhibition percentages against S. aureus between 66 and 95% for a 10% honey concentration, so that all the honeys analyzed in this study had greater antimicrobial capacity. In the study by Mirzaei et al [50], lower inhibition percentages were also obtained at higher concentrations of honey (18-40% at a concentration of 25% honey), which corroborates this fact.…”

“…Other studies [49] presented inhibition percentages against S. aureus between 66 and 95% for a 10% honey concentration, so that all the honeys analyzed in this study had greater antimicrobial capacity. In the study by Mirzaei et al [50], lower inhibition percentages were Other researchers described higher antimicrobial activity in honeydew honeys than in blossom honeys [13,44], relating dark honeys with higher polyphenol compounds and higher biological activities [47]. Heather honeys are dark honeys, and in previous research, they showed higher phenolics contents than honeydew honeys [48], so it is likely that those compounds contribute to antimicrobial activity.…”

Honey’s Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties: A Bibliometric Study

“…Honey type is a crucial factor determining the levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and, thus, different antibacterial behaviors. In dark forest honey and honeydew honey, these compounds performed successfully against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria [136][137][138][139][140][141].…”