Abstract
One of the serious problems the world is facing today is the antimicrobial resistance on available antibiotics by most bacterial pathogens and the rising cost of finding effective antimicrobial agents. In recent years, efforts to find new drugs especially from natural sources have been boosted by the demand for an effective cure for infectious diseases. Only the antibacterial activity of apis mellifera honey and not stingless bee honey from western Kenya has been reported. This study was therefore carried out to determine the effect of Plebenia hylderbrandii and Meliponula bocandei honey samples on the growth of control; sensitive cases of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923). Different honey concentrations (1.18% - 17.65% v/v) of the two samples were tested against the two micro-organisms. The samples were screened for their antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by agar well dilution method. The Partial inhibitory concentration (PIC), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were determined by in vitro method. The inhibitory effect of Plebenia hylderbrandii honey on E. coli and S. aureus growth was apparent at concentrations 3.53% and 1.76% (v/v) respectively. On the other hand, the inhibitory effect of Meliponula bocandei honey on S. aureus growth was at concentration 16.47% (v/v). Plebenia hylderbrandii honey had bactericidal effect on both E. coli and S. aureus at concentrations 4.71% and 2.35% (v/v) respectively. However, Meliponula bocandei honey exerted bactericidal effect on S. aureus only at 16.47% (v/v) concentration. Plebenia hylderbrandii honey had higher antibacterial potency and can be a potential source of antibacterial substances. Moreover, the honeys tested in this study showed great antibacterial potential for S. aureus.
Highlights
Honey is one of the natural products whose usage has become a popular approach in both food preservation and medical treatments as a result of its low toxicity and potent activity
An experimental study was conducted to determine the antibacterial activity of honey obtained from two stingless bee species Plebenia hylderbrandii and Meliponula bocandei against E. coli and S. aureus. (12 × 2 × 2) factorial experiment was organized in completely randomized design (CRD)
Plebenia hylderbrandii honey had a bactericidal activity at a concentration of 4.71% (v/v) and 2.35% (v/v) for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively
Summary
Honey is one of the natural products whose usage has become a popular approach in both food preservation and medical treatments as a result of its low toxicity and potent activity This has been attributed to the ineffectiveness of antibiotic drugs in curing diseases which have triggered the need for alternative antimicrobial control strategies in re-evaluation of therapeutic usage of ancient therapies including honey [1]. In Ethiopia, China and India, nearly 80 percent of the total population depend on traditional therapies as a prime health care source [3] [4] These natural products can be applied in the discovery and development of novel antimicrobial drugs which can be used in treating infectious diseases. Natural products as opposed to synthetic drugs experience less resistance from the target infectious agents [6]
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