Antimicrobial activity of Finnish organic honeys against human pathogenic bacteria

Summary

Increasing pathogen resistance to antimicrobials threatens every human-being globally. Alternative methods and solutions for fighting against infectious diseases are urgently needed. Honey has been used as a traditional medicine for centuries and its antimicrobial properties have been revealed in several in vitro studies against wide variety of human pathogenic bacterial species, including antibiotic resistant strains. Research on antimicrobial activity of organic honeys is a novel approach and may lead to unknown antimicrobial mechanisms and factors. It also represents sustainable development. In the present study we show that Finnish organic honeys have antimicrobial activity against the growth of human pathogenic organisms E. coli, S. typhi, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, B. cereus and S. epidermidis responsible for various human diseases. Moderate concentrations of the studied organic honeys were active against most of the pathogenic organisms and thus could have applications in vivo in order to control infections caused by the studied pathogens. The determined minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the organic honeys were significant, when considering applications to medical practice.