Researchers at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, are conducting trials on the use of dressings impregnated with honey to treat infected wounds.
Dr Rose Cooper (lecturer in microbiology, University of Wales Institute) told The Journal that the dressings used in the trial were absorbent pads impregnated with active Manuka honey, from New Zealand, which were then irradiated. She said that Manuka honey had previously been tested for its antibacterial properties by researchers at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Dr Cooper commented that in the UK, the honey had been used on selected patients with recurrent wound infections. However, a much larger cohort of patients was now needed for testing its therapeutic use.
Dr Stephen Thomas (Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory, Bridgend) said that Manuka honey was the best type for treating wounds. He said that honey had two mechanisms of action as an antibacterial agent. The first was an osmotic pressure effect, whereby the growth of bacteria was inhibited. Secondly, some honey itself contained antimicrobial agents, which came from the plants from which the honey was derived.