Antimicrobial Activity of Some Italian Honeys Against Pathogenic Bacteria

Abstract

Some Italian honeys of different floral origin (acacia, orange, chestnut, coriander, eucalyptus, lime, wildflower) and one honeydew honey were investigated for their potential as natural antimicrobials against pathogens commonly associated with wound or burn infections. S. aureus, S. epidermidis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and P. mirabilis were used as test microorganisms. The honeys examined showed moderate to high antibacterial activity, with honeydew, eucalyptus and wildflower honeys being the most effective. MIC values obtained by the agar incorporation method were in the range of 5–20% (v/v). Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible to the inhibitory action of honey, probably because of their larger outer-membrane permeability to exogenous substances. Overall, the results suggest that some of the honeys considered here might have excellent potential for use in antimicrobial formulations for topical applications.