ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF HONEY

ABSTRACT

Honey is used as a traditional therapeutic substance for the treatment of a variety of bacterial infections. They contain antibacterial substances such as hydrogen peroxide, glucose oxidase, phenolic acids and so on which played adverse role in therapeutic activities. The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity of honey on two Gram-positive bacteria (Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus)and two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The antibacterial activity of raw honey and adulterated honey was done on the bacterial isolates using disc diffusion method. The result showed that honey had antibacterial activities against the bacterial isolates. The zones of inhibition increased as the concentration was increased. The widest zone of inhibition (5mm) was obtained from raw honey against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The lowest Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of honey was both 12.5% against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and this was found in raw honey. The results obtained from this study shows that honey can be used to treat bacterial infections. The use of honey as a safe and natural antibacterial agent should be expanded globally after being put through pharmaceutical standards and further clinical trials.