Honeydew honey as a potent antibacterial agent in eradication of multi‐drug resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates from cancer patients

Abstract

International audienceMulti-drug resistance in nosocomial pathogens is a continually evolving and alarming problem in health care units. Since ancient times, honey has been used successfully for treatment of broad spectrum of infections with no risk of resistance development. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of two natural honeys, namely honeydew and manuka, against 20 nosocomial multi-drug resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) isolates from cancer patients. Antibiotic susceptibility test was carried out using disk diffusion method with 20 antibiotic disks. The antibacterial activity of honey was determined using a broth dilution method. The concentration of honey used in study was within the range of 3.75% to 25% (w/v). All 20 clinical isolates were multi-drug resistant against 11 to 19 antibiotics. The MICs for honeydew honey ranged from 6.25% to 17.5%, while those for active manuka honey ranged from 7.5% to 22.5%. Honeydew honey had the lower MICs than manuka honey against 16 of tested isolates. This study showed that Slovak honeydew honey has exceptional antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant S. maltophilia isolates and was more efficient than manuka honey (UMF 15+). Honeydew honey with strong antibacterial activity could be used as a potential agent to eradicate of multi-drug resistance clinical isolates

Honey-sensitive Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants are impaired in catalase A

“…The antimicrobial power of Manuka honey has been widely documented (Blair et al, 2009;Roberts et al, 2015), whereas only recently, a remarkable number of reports about HD honey have been published (Majtan et al, 2011;Bobis et al, 2008;Kacaniova et al, 2011). Both types of honey were found effective against P. aeruginosa (Blair et al, 2009;Kacaniova et al, 2011).…”

“…Floral honeys are produced from the nectar and secretions of different plants (Uthurry et al, 2011) whereas honeydew honeys (HD honey) are produced from the excretions of plant-sucking insects such as aphids (Astwood et al, 1998). Both honeys of different floral origin and HD honey have been investigated for their potential as natural antimicrobials (Vatansever et al, 2013;Majtan et al, 2011). However, honeys have complex chemical compositions that vary depending on the floral or the honeydew source, the climate and the harvesting conditions (Hayashi et al, 2014), thus making it difficult to identify the main antibacterial ingredients.…”

Proteomic and genomic analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) exposed to manuka honey in vitro demonstrated down-regulation of virulence markers

“…3–7 Its high osmolarity, acidity, generation of hydrogen peroxide on dilution and insect-derived antimicrobial peptides contribute to antibacterial activity, yet not all honeys are equivalent. 8 Manuka honey is a distinctive honey that is produced in New Zealand and is used as a medical-grade honey in the manufacture of wound dressings licensed for clinical use in Australasia, Europe and North America.…”

Mechanism of Honey Bacteriostatic Action Against MRSA and VRE Involves Hydroxyl Radicals Generated from Honey’s Hydrogen Peroxide

“…In support of such notion are the following facts: (a) honeys from different botanical and geographical origins have been shown to possess antibacterial activity and (b) at least in some honeys, this activity has been shown to be directed against both antibiotic-sensitive as well as multi-resistant bacteria. This putative mechanism against antibiotic-resistant bacteria may function in honeys derived from Leptospermum spp., (manuka), Fagopyrum esculentum (buckwheat), Koompassia excelsa (tualang), and honeydew honeys (Willix et al, 1992; Cooper et al, 2000, 2002a,b; French et al, 2005; Brudzynski and Lannigan, 2008; Blair et al, 2009; Tan et al, 2009; Majtan et al, 2010). …”