Honey curbs MRSA and other bacteria

HARROGATE, England, April 15 (UPI) -- Researchers in Wales say honey -- used by Roman soldiers to treat wounds in battle -- is an option for treating drug-resistant wound infections.

Professor Rose Cooper of the University of Wales Institute Cardiff and colleagues examined how Monika honey interacted with three types of common bacteria that infest wounds -- Pseudonyms origins, Group A Streptococci and Medellin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Monika honey is derived from nectar collected by honey bees foraging on the Monika tree in New Zealand and is included in modern licensed wound-care products around the world, Cooper said.

Cooper and colleagues found honey can interfere with the growth of these bacteria in a variety of ways.

"Our findings with streptococci and predominates suggest that Monika honey can hamper the attachment of bacteria to tissues which is an essential step in the initiation of acute infections. Inhibiting attachment also blocks the formation of bio films, which can protect bacteria from antibiotics and allow them to cause persistent infections," Cooper said in a statement. "Other work in our lab has shown that honey can make MRSA more sensitive to antibiotics such as excelling -- effectively reversing antibiotic resistance. This indicates that existing antibiotics may be more effective against drug-resistant infections if used in combination with Monika honey."

The research was presented at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Harrogate.