Comparison of methods to determine antibacterial activity of honeys against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Nowadays, researching potentially functional properties of honey such as antimicrobial activity is interesting due to the overwhelming problem of bacteria strains resistant to antibiotics, and the expected higher value for honey that consumers constantly demand. In this research, we compared three different methods (agar dilution, broth dilution, as well as agar well diffusion), to analyse honey's antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, using 56 unpasteurized honeys from different botanical origins. Agar well diffusion method showed to be a rapid and low cost screening method, using less medium and material, to distinguish the samples with and without antibacterial activity. Agar dilution and broth dilution procedures gave similar values. However, the latter proved to be faster and much more informative, providing with minimal antimicrobial and bactericidal concentrations. Higher values of antimicrobial activities were found in honeydew honeys, polyfloral honeys, Calluna vulgaris and Erica spp. honeys. Conversely, Lavandula spp. samples showed lower antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Selected Honeys Against Human Pathogenic Bacteria

“…S. aureus is a common bacterium in the study of antimicrobial activity of honey. These bacteria can cause various infections, from the skin and soft tissue infections to pneumonia, meningitis, and endocarditis (13,50). Most of the undiluted honeys inhibited the growth of S. aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis (49).…”

“…The growing overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to the evolution of numerous forms of bacterial resistance. Being a natural antibacterial agent and an alternative to antibiotics, honey has attracted great attention since it could be successfully used against certain antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains (12,13). Moreover, apart from the absence of antimicrobial resistance, other highly beneficial features of this natural preservative are nontoxicity, a practical application and low cost (14,15).…”

Propiedades fisicoquímicas de mieles monoflorales de encenillo de la zona altoandina en Boyacá, Colombia

“…La visualización de los granos de polen se realizó haciendo uso de microscopio AmScope, con aumento de 40x, con acople a cámara digital tipo Moticam, el registro fotográfico se elaboró usando software Motic Image Plus 2.0 M. Se consideró la abundancia relativa porcentual de los granos de polen presentes. 4,25,26 …”

“…La caracterización de mieles especiales da lugar a la implementación de técnicas de análisis melisopalinológico para indagar sobre el origen botánico, 11,19,24,25 y reconocer sus propiedades fisicoquímicas, nutricionales y terapéuticas en virtud al amplio espectro antibacteriano y actividad como agente inhibitorio de algo más de 80 especies de bacterias. 12,[26][27][28][29] En el estudio de CV de mieles, se han identificado más de 600 compuestos de diversa índole, [19][20] entre aldehídos, alcoholes, ácidos, ésteres, cetonas, hidrocarburos, derivados de furano, pirano, terpenos y sus derivados, además de compuestos cíclicos y derivados de azufre. [30][31][32] Los estudios de autenticidad de los tipos de miel, según el origen botánico, han sido orientados a la identificación de compuestos fenólicos como marcadores moleculares (fingerprint).…”

Water Soluble Propolis and Royal Jelly Enhance the Antimicrobial Activity of Honeys and Promote the Growth of Human Macrophage Cell Line

“…Among honey types, certainly the most effective Manuka honey was reported to exhibit antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, such as, Staphylococcus aureus and Helicobacter pylori, making it a promising agent for the treatment of wounds or stomach ulcers [16]. The beneficial role of honeys is attributed to the antibacterial property that is comprised of high osmolarity, acidity (low pH) and content of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) as well as non-peroxide components, i.e., the presence of phytochemical components, like methylglyoxal (MGO).…”