Honey

Honey as an Antibiotic: Scientists Identify a Secret Ingredient in Honey That Kills Bacteria

Nadim Dinani

Ref:- July 2010 print edition of the FASEB Journal

The research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

Honey has played a significant role is the past as a Food that does not spoil on its own. Several proposals of existence of special characteristics have been put forward to explain this phenomenon. However, the list seems not to end as scientists discover one more reason as to why honey is resistant towards bacteria besides its high sugar content character. Thus, Honey or isolated honey-derived components might be of great value for prevention and treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

To make the discovery, Zaat and colleagues investigated the antibacterial activity of medical-grade honey in test tubes against a panel of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria. They developed a method to selectively neutralize the known antibacterial factors in honey and determine their individual antibacterial contributions. Ultimately, researchers isolated the defensin-1 protein, which is part of the honey bee immune system and is added by bees to honey. After analysis, the scientists concluded that the vast majority of honey's antibacterial properties come from that protein. This information also sheds light on the inner workings of honey bee immune systems, which may one day help breeders create healthier and heartier honey bees.