ABSTRACT
The antibacterial
activity of honey obtained from different locations in Enugu North and
South(Nsukka and Ugwuaji) Nigeria on Streptococcus pyogenes,, Escherichia coli
and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from wound swabs collected from
University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) were studied. Reviews on the
effects of honey in medicine and its properties was further studied, because as
an antimicrobial agent honey may have the potential for treating a variety of
ailments. The Antibacterial properties of honey are the result of the low water
activity causing osmosis, hydrogen
peroxide effect, and high acidity content .
Gram test and biochemical tests were carried out on the cultures. The method
employed for the sensitivity test was the agar well diffusion assay, which
involved the determination of antibacterial activity by measuring the zones of
inhibition produced by honey, measured by using a transparent meter rule. The
results of this study revealed antibacterial activity of both the honey samples
used on the test organisms as the concentration of honey was increased, high
antibacterial activity was attained . Honey from Nsukka was found to be more
potent on the test organisms by producing the largest zone of inhibition on Staph.aureus and E.coli at all dilution concentrations and inhibited moderately on Streptococcus pyogenes.
CHAPTER
ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The management of wounds, ulcers and abscesses can be quite difficult for
the surgeon and frustrating for the patient with the ever increasing numbers of
strains of organisms resistant to current antibiotics it has become necessary
to search for an alternative and equally effective method of dealing with the
situation (Efam, 1993). It has been demonstrated in recent studies that honey
can accelerate wound healing and also possesses bacterial properties
(Efam,1993). Since no known chemical or biological agents has been shown to destroy
all the possible organism that cause wound infection and other surgical infections,
empirical use of honey in treating all infected wounds is likely to be
rewarding.
Hence it is necessary to determine the antimicrobial
spectrum of honey so that it can be applied on wounds contaminating by
sensitive organisms ( Allen, et al.
1991). Honey is a substance made when nectar and sweet deposite from plants are
gathered, modified and stored in the honeycomb by honeybees Apis melifera (Martins, et al. 2001). In 1999, Al Walli, et al.reported that honey hass been used
topically for medical purpose. Honey is composed mainly of sugars (70-80%) such
as fructose, sucrose, glucose,etc a low level of water, proteins, hydrogen
peroxide, and gluconic acid, As a
typical agent, honey has a dedebridin0g and
cleansing action and acts as a barrier to prevent infections. Its antimicrobial properties as a topical agent has
been described and documented both in vitro and in vivo studies and
evidencesupports its usefulness in wound healing (David, 2005). Recent studies
have reported the benefits of honey in the treatment of burns, skin grafts,
radiation induced mucositis and dermatologic conditions such as borrhea and
dermatitis (Willix, et al 1992).The
antibacterial property of honey is derived from the osmotic effect of its high
sugar content. Its acidic properties of gluconoic acid and the antiseptic
properties of its hydrogen peroxide
(Khan, et al. 2007). Wounds
infected with Staphylococcus aureus
are quickly rendered sterile by honey. Different types of honey are available
depending on the source of nectar used in its production the source of the
nectar determines the degree of antibacterial activity of the honey (Efem,
1993). High demand for honey coupled with poverty often lead to product
scarcity and adulteration and consequently, reduction in the product quality
(Omode and Ademukola, 2008). People tend to visit the local market than buy
honey directly from the apiary. The present study is aimed at investigating the
antibacterial activity of unprocessed commercial honey sold in the local
markets from two regions of Enugu state Nigeria (Enugu North and Enugu West) on
the following wound isolates: Staphylococcus
aureus, Escherichia coli and
Streptococcus pyogenes.
1.1. Honey
Honey
is a natural sweet substance and is produced by honeybees from the nectar of
blossoms, from secretion of living parts of plants. Honeybees collect this
material, transform and combine it with specific substances of their own, store
and leave in the honey comb to ripen and mature (White & Landis, 1980).
Freshly extracted honey is a viscous liquid, has a greater density (1.5 g/cm3)
than water (1 g/cm3 at 4 ēC), having a strong hygroscopic character, relatively
low heat conductivity, low surface tension and various colours that are
basically all variances of yellow amber (Jusbin, 1996). The various chemical
components of honey include: carbohydrates that comprise the major portion of honey-about
82 % (Hak-Gil et al., 1988), and proteins that include a number of
enzymes, and eighteen free amino acids, a carboxylic acid group, of which most
abundant is proline (White et al., 1962). With respect to carbohydrates,
honey is mainly fructose (about 38.5 %) and glucose (about 31.0 %), making it
similar to the synthetically produced inverted sugar syrup which is
approximately 48 % fructose, 47 % glucose, and 5 % sucrose (Hak-Gil et al.,
1988).
1.2 Extraction of honey
Honey is collected from wild bee
colonies, or from domesticated beehives. Wild bee nests are
sometimes located by following a honeyguide bird. Collecting honey is
typically achieved by using smoke from a bee smoker to pacify the bees; this
causes the bees to attempt to save the resources of the hive from a possible
forest fire, and makes them far less aggressive. The honeycomb is removed from the hive
and the honey is extracted from that, often using a honey extractor. The honey is then
filtered and stored in jars and most times sold with bottles in the market or
commercial stores (National honey board, 1994).
Bacteria
Bacteria are minute organisms
included in the category of microorganism which occur almost everywhere but
because of their small size, their activities continue unnoticed though their
presence are sometimes revealed when would becomes septic, milk become sour etc
(Singleton, 1997). The discovery of bacteria as major causes of disease
resulted in the need for their elimination thus the need for substances, which
are capable of achieving this goal. The term antimicrobial agent thus describes
any substances be it physical or chemical that is effective against
microorganisms of which bacteria is one. Some of such agents include heat,
antibiotics, alcohol, etc (Prescott., et al, 2002).
However,
the relentless emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of pathogens together
with the retarded discovery of novel antibiotics (Cooper, 2000) has led to the
study of various natural products in the control and inhibition of bacteria
particularly where conventional modern therapeutic agents are failing (Molan,
2001). Honey is one of such natural products that has been so studied.
1.4 Honey analysis
Table:1
Composition
Percentage
Fructose
38.2%
Glucose
31.3%
Sucrose
1.3%
Maltose
7.1%
Water
17.2 %
High sugars
1.5 %
Ash
0.2%
Other/undetermined
3.2%
Honey has a density
of about 1.36 kilograms per litre( 36% denser than
water). (Hak-Gil et al., 1988).
1.5 Objectives of study
I To determine the minimum inhibitory
concentration of honey on bacteria
Isolated from
infections.
II
To compare the antibacterial activity of honey from Nsukka and Ugwuaji
(Enugu North and
south) Enugu Nigeria.
III To determine the
specific gravity of honey from the different
location of
work study.
IV To
yield additional knowledge such as the possible dilution of honey
sample, density and activity of the honey sample on Bacterial infection.
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