AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF HONEY ON Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyogen ISOLATED FROM WOUND

ABSTRACT

 Antibacterial activity of honey obtained from two different locations in Enugu State (Nsukka & Ugwuaji) Nigeria on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyogens isolated from wound was studied. Agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of the honey on the test microorganisms. The result revealed that the two honey samples have heavy antibacterial activities against the test organisms and zones of inhibition were obtained showing high antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activity increased with increase in the concentrations and honey from Nsukka produced a high antibacterial activity (clearer zone) on staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at all concentration and moderately for streptococcus pyogens. The use of honey as a therapeutic substance has been rediscovered by the medical profession on more recent times, and it is gaining acceptance as an antibacterial agent for the treatment of ulcers and bed sores, and other infections resulting from burns and wounds.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 Infections and other health related problems have been of great concern to human beings and chemotherapy is the main approach in the treatment of such conditions. Investigation into the microbial flora of wound began in the late 19th century and since then; improvements in techniques have facilitated the recovery, identification and enumeration of a wide variety of microbial species. Most wounds support relatively stable polymicrobial communities (Bowkler, et.al; 2001) often without signs of clinical infection (Hansson,et al; 1993). However, potential pathogens may be present and the delicate balance between colonized wound and an infected wound depends on the interplay of complex host and microbial influences (Emmerson, 1998). The development of wound infection has deleterious effect on 2 patients by causing increased pain, discomfort, inconveniences and can lead to life threatening conditions or even death. Major challenges encountered with antibiotics in clinical use are resistance to antibiotics which leads eventually to failure of the treatment (Blair 2004). Infectious diseases are known to be treated with herbal remedies throughout the history of mankind; even today, natural substances continue to play a major role in primary health care as therapeutic remedies in many developing countries (Jonathan, et.al; 2007). Over the years, there have been reports of the production of more potent antibiotics e.g. third and fourth generation of cephalosporin by pharmaceutical companies which are not readily available and expensive. Problems of various antibiotics include low efficacy, side effect which has lead investigations into natural and potent antibacterial seeming to be the right step to take. The invasion of pathogenic organism is on the rise as a result, effects are been made to develop antibacterial agent from natural sources for better 3 therapeutic effect (Gills, 1992). The therapies have drawn the interest of both public and medicinal communities. Current research has been focused on herbal and aromatherapy product. However, a number of their product such as honey has shown therapeutic promise. The presence in honey of various inhibins as described by (Doid and Dzaio, 1937) has been reported by several investigators. Honey was used to treat infected wound as long as 2000 years ago before bacterial were discovered to be the cause of infection in c.50 AD, Dioscorides described honey as been “good for all rotten and hollow ulcers” (Gunther, 1959). More recently, honey has been reported to have an inhibitory effect to around 60 species of bacterial including aerobes and anaerobes, Gram positive and Gram negative (Molan, 1992). The current prevalence of the therapeutic use of ancient remedies, include honey committee on science and technology.

1.1 Aims and objectives.

 1. To determine antibacterial potential of honey. 4 2. To investigate the mechanism of antibacterial action of honey. 3. To determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of honey on bacterial isolates from wounds of human beings. 4. To yield additional knowledge such as the possible dilution of honey sample and activity of the honey sample in bacterial infection.

1.2 Literature Review

The medicinal properties of honey have been reported and documented by beekeepers and medical practitioners (Bankova, et.al; 2002). As a result of over use and abuse of antibiotics, there have been increases in the number of diseases, which seem to evolve to become more virulent with each generation. Investigations into natural and potent antimicrobials seemed to be the right step to take. The invasion of pathogenic organism is on the rise and as a result, effects are being made to develop antimicrobial agents from natural sources for better therapeutic effect (Gills, 1992). The therapies have drawn the interest of both public and medical communities. Current research has been focused on herbal and aromatherapy products. Antimicrobial agents have been applied to wound for thousands of years (Moellering, 1995) but many remedies have been discontinued because the evidence to support their efficacy was anecdotal. 6 Continued use of systemic and topical antimicrobial agents has provided the selective pressure that has lead to the emergence of antibiotics-resistance strains which, in turn, has driven the continued search for new agents. Unfortunately, the increased costs of searching for such agents and the decreasing rate of their discovery (Moellering, 1995) has made the situation increasing urgent and the prevalence of antibiotics-resistant microbial species now justifies the re-evaluation of former treatment (Anon, 1998). Honey has been used as a medicine since ancient times in many cultures and is still used in „folk medicine‟. The use of honey as a therapeutic substance has been rediscovered by the medical profession in more recent times, and it is gaining acceptance as an antibacterial agent for the treatment of ulcers and bed sores, and other infections resulting from burns and wound. In many of the cases in the cited reports, honey was used on infections not responding to standard effective in rapidly clearing up infection and promoting healing. Honey has also been found to be effective in treating bacterial gastroenteritis in infants. 7 The medicinal use of honey in wound treatment is derived from diverse ancient civilizations (Jones, 2001). The antibacterial properties of honey were recognized more than a century ago and have subsequently been extensively studied (Molan, 1992a, 1992b). A wide range of microbial species has been shown to be inhibited by honey but reported susceptibilities are not consistent. Failure to identify the botanical sources of honeys used in many of those studies, or to determine their antibacterial potency, makes comparison of reported sensitivities unreliable. It is remarkable that ancient physicians were selective in the honeys that they utilized in their remedies (Jones, 2001), although the underlying principles would have been obscure. Now it is possible to determine quantitatively the antimicrobial activity of a honey (Allen, et. al; 1991) and also to discriminate between honeys whose mode of action involves factors beyond their osmolarity in limiting bacterial growth (Allen, et.al; 1991). In most honeys this depends on the enzymic generation of hydrogen peroxide to varying degrees (Molan, 1992a) 8 but, in some honeys, there are additional phytochemical antibacterial factors (Molan, 1992a). In recent studies, the susceptibility of wound pathogens (Willix, et. al; 1992) and bacterial isolated from wound (Cooper and Molan 1999; Cooper et. al; 1999) to honeys of known floral source and defined antibacterial activity has been reported. However, the inhibition f antibiotic-resistant bacteria by honey has not been fully explored .using characterized honey, this study aims to extend the range of wound pathogens whose susceptibility to honey has been determined and to compare the susceptibility of antibioticsensitivity strains with those of antibiotics-resistant strains.

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