Antibacterial activity of buckwheat honey added with ferrous lactate against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antibacterial Effect of Eugenol on Shigella flexneri and Its Mechanism

Shigella flexneri (Sh. flexneri), which can be found in food and the environment, is a widespread food-borne pathogen that causes human diarrhea termed “shigellosis”. In this study, eugenol, a natural active substance, was investigated for its antibacterial activity against Sh. flexneri. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of eugenol against Sh. flexneri ATCC 12022 was 0.5 and 0.8 mg/mL. The growth curves and inhibitory effect in LB broth, PBS, vegetable juice, and minced pork showed that eugenol had a good activity against Sh. flexneri. Research findings indicated the superoxide dismutase activity of Sh. flexneri was inhibited after eugenol treatment, resulting in concentrations of intracellular reactive oxygen species and an increase in malondialdehyde. The flow cytometry analysis and field emission scanning electron microscopy results revealed obvious damage to cell membrane integrity and changes in the morphology of Sh. flexneri. In addition, the intracellular ATP concentration leaked from 0.5 μM to below 0.05 μM and the membrane potential showed a concentration-dependent depolarization after eugenol treatment. In summary, eugenol exerted strong antibacterial activity and has the potential to control Sh. flexneri in the food industry.

Honey-Based Medicinal Formulations: A Critical Review

Honey, a concentrated natural product, is produced by honeybees (Apis mellifera) from the nectar of flowers. It contains over 200 compounds that exert various biological or pharmacological activities, ranging from antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antihypertensive to hypoglycemic effects. Due to the presence of a plethora of bioactive compounds, as well as unique physicochemical properties, honey has been widely used as medicine throughout human history along with its extensive utilization as common food and flavoring agent. The application of neat honey for therapeutic purpose, however, poses some difficulties such as the maintenance of a required therapeutic concentration over an adequate timeframe due to the problem of liquefaction and leakage. This has driven researchers to incorporate honey into a range of formulations, for example, hydrogels, dressings, ointments, pastes, or lozenges. After a brief discussion of the chemistry and medicinal use of honey, this review focuses on commercial honey-based medicinal formulations as well as in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies on noncommercial honey formulations for the treatment of various ailments. In addition to this, it also covers the application of honey formulations and the evidence underpinning their use.

Effect of two different delivery systems of honey on the healing of oral ulcer in an animal model

Honey had several healing properties which includes antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two different systems of honey on the healing of experimentally created traumatic oral ulcers in rats. Traumatic ulcers were created on the lower labial mucosa on male rats using 50% acetic acid. The rats were subsequently divided into three groups; in group one and two, the ulcers were treated with honey gel and honey adhesive respectively, whereas the third group received no treatment. The ulcers were macroscopically and microscopically studied. A statistical significant difference was observed in macroscopic investigation among the three groups in the 3rd and 7th day (p < 0.05). However, there were no statistical significant findings by the 15th day although a complete clinical healing was virtually observed in most of the cases. Histological examination shows a statistical significant difference within each of the three groups over time (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the mean rank values for the honey gel group were significantly higher in comparison to the other groups over time (p < 0.05). The therapeutic value of honey gel appears to be more effective than the mucoadhesive form in shortening the duration of wound healing.