Wound Care in the Wilderness: Is There Evidence for Honey?

Abstract

Honey is one of the most ancient remedies for wound care. Current research has shown promising results for its use in wound care. This review is intended to inform readers of the physiological properties of honey and the evidence that exists to support its clinical use. When compared with evidence for current wound treatment, honey has proven to be a safe, effective, and sometimes superior treatment for various wounds. There are currently US Food and Drug Administration–approved medical-grade honey products available in the United States. Although there have been no clinical trials exploring the use of honey in wilderness environments, it may be a safe, improvisational wound treatment. More robust studies are needed for definitive conclusions of its efficacy and safety.

How methylglyoxal kills bacteria: An ultrastructural study

“…Studies have also shown that MGO is effective against S. aureus that has become resistant to methicillin and oxacillin [9]. Kilty et al (2011) reported that MGO was also effective against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus including MRSA biofilms.…”

“…In bacteria MGO is mainly synthesized from the glycolytic intermediate, dihydroxyacetone However excessive amounts of MGO such as found in manuka honey kill bacteria, and MGO has been found to have a bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects across a broad spectrum of wound bacteria [9]. Growth inhibition of bacteria occurs when MGO levels in the growth media reaches 0.3 mM and viability decreases at levels above 0.6 mM.…”

“…Manuka honey with a UMF > 10 is used for therapeutic purposes and has a MGO content of ≥ 263 mg/kg and is sterilised using gamma radiation [7,9]. Manuka honey has been reported to have antibacterial activity against a wide range of bacteria including bacteria resistant to other treatments [7,9].…”

“…Manuka honey has been reported to have antibacterial activity against a wide range of bacteria including bacteria resistant to other treatments [7,9]. MGO effectively kills E. coli and S. aureus [10] as well as methicillin and oxacillin resistant S. aureus [9]. Kilty et al (2011) reported that MGO was also effective against biofilms of P. aeruginosa, S. aureus as well as methicillin-resistant S. aureus although effective concentrations were several fold greater than required for plantonic bacteria [11].…”

Características fisicoquímicas de mieles comerciales de eucalipto del suroeste de Casanare

“…Honey is a natural food produced in almost every region of the world, with recognized uses -mainly as a sweetener (Chaven 2014) and an alternative medicine for the treatment of various diseases (Saxena et al 2014;Stewart et al 2014). The composition of a specific honey depends on the floral richness in the surroundings of the hive, but it mainly contains sugars, water, amino acids, organic acids, phenolic compounds, enzymes, pigments, waxes, volatile substances, traces of pollen, other secondary metabolites, etc.…”