Medical-grade honey enriched with antimicrobial peptides has enhanced activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogens

Abstract

Honey has potent activity against both antibiotic-sensitive and -resistant bacteria, and is an interesting agent for topical antimicrobial application to wounds. As honey is diluted by wound exudate, rapid bactericidal activity up to high dilution is a prerequisite for its successful application. We investigated the kinetics of the killing of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by RS honey, the source for the production of Revamil® medical-grade honey, and we aimed to enhance the rapid bactericidal activity of RS honey by enrichment with its endogenous compounds or the addition of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). RS honey killed antibiotic-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecium, and Burkholderia cepacia within 2 h, but lacked such rapid activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli. It was not feasible to enhance the rapid activity of RS honey by enrichment with endogenous compounds, but RS honey enriched with 75 μM of the synthetic peptide Bactericidal Peptide 2 (BP2) showed rapid bactericidal activity against all species tested, including MRSA and ESBL E. coli, at up to 10–20-fold dilution. RS honey enriched with BP2 rapidly killed all bacteria tested and had a broader spectrum of bactericidal activity than either BP2 or honey alone.

Colour Intensity, Polyphenol Content and Antibacterial Capacity of Unheated and Heat-Treated Sahara Honey

“…Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was used to determine the lowest concentration of honey-in-water solution (w/v) at which the percentage inhibition is almost 100% [21,22]. The MIC before and after heat-treatment of SH hydrogen peroxide, although involved in antibacterial action [27][28][29][30][31][32]. Two important enzymes known to contribute to the major biological proprieties of honey are bee-origin glucose oxidase and floral-origin catalase [33].…”

Bee Diversity in Thailand and the Applications of Bee Products

“…However, such geographical and likely seasonal variations in the bioactivity of bee products necessitates some form of standardization of their bioactivity. There has been some progress in the improvement of the standard and acceptance in using bee products in medicine, especially medical-grade honey (Kwakman et al, 2011). Manuka honey, is one such medical-grade honey with antibacterial bioactivity (Lin et al, 2011).…”

Preliminary study on synergistic combinations of raw honey with gentamicin against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa of veterinary origin

“…Honey has potent activity against both antibioticsensitive and -resistant bacteria, and is an interesting agent for topical antibacterial application to chronic wound infections not responding to antibiotic therapy [4]. In Gram-positive bacteria, a synergistic interaction between honey and antibiotics has been suggested [5].…”