Infections are caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, and can have a big impact on the health of patients. Normally, infections are treated with antibiotics, but antimicrobial resistance is a risk and an increasing problem. Possible causes are misuse of antibiotics or not completing the prescribed antibiotic treatment. The so-called Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are among the most common opportunistic pathogens in humans and domestic animals. You may previously have heard of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which is causing hard to treat infections. MRSA is common in hospitals and nursing homes and can be life-threatening. Both the before-mentioned bacteria possess the ability to persist in harsh environments and to develop resistance to many antimicrobials. Therefore, there is growing interest in finding alternative therapeutic agents against antimicrobial-resistant strains.

Honey has been used for wound care since ancient Egyptian times. At that time, they used honey to keep away evil spirits, something that now have been found to be microorganisms. Nowadays, it is widely recognized that medical grade honey enhances wound healing and exerts antimicrobial activities. Many different honey-based wound care products exist. Two products that are frequently used for wound care are medical grade honey-based L-Mesitran Soft and manuka honey-based Medihoney. The antimicrobial activity of these two commercially available medical grade honey products against Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas bacteria was investigated.

L-Mesitran contains 40% medical grade honey and is supplemented with vitamins C and E and carriers to make it easy to apply as a cream. Medihoney contains 80% manuka-honey. In this study, the concentrations of both products at which they are effective to stop the growth and to kill Staphylococcus (including MRSA) and Pseudomonas bacteria were evaluated. To get a reliable result, tests were done on 11 bacterial isolates of both species against two different bacterial concentrations.

L-Mesitran showed more consistent and significantly stronger killing activity than Medihoney, despite containing half the amount of honey in its formulation. Likely, the supplements in L-Mesitran have enhanced its activity.