Research on Active Manuka Honey

Active Manuka Honey has been researched by Dr. Peter Molan, Senior Lecturer at the Waikato University in New Zealand for over 20 years.

The UMF Activity in Manuka Honey has been described by Molan and Russell (1998) and Allen (1991). The substance has so far not been identified. Westen (1999) found that the activity was not caused by the phenolics (including flavonoids) found in Manuka Honey.

Honey has been shown in laboratory studies to have antibacterial activity against the 7 most common species of bacteria found in wounds. Minimum dilutions varied depending on the species of bacteria and the type of activity, but complete inhibition was shown for all species at below 10% honey concentration. Manuka Honey that showed UMF activity was effective in killing Staphylococcus aureus, the most common wound-infection species, at 1,8% honey concentration (Willix 1992). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains have also been tested against both types of activity, with complete inhibition shown at 10% honey concentration (Molan 1996).

Research has shown a link between gastritis and duodenal ulcers and the bacteria Helicobacter Pylori. Manuka Honey with UMF10+ activity, and other honey with peroxide activity, were both tested in laboratory cultures again helicobacter pylori. Only Manuka Honey showed inhibition against the bacteria, with complete inhibition shown at 5% honey concentration (Al Somal 1994). It appears likely that Active Manuka Honey may offer healing properties for millions of stomach ulcer (peptic ulcer) sufferers worldwide.

Honey has shown in the laboratory to have antibacterial activity against a range of bacterial species causing gastroenteritis and diarrhea. Average concentration for Manuka Honey was 5-11% for complete inhibition and 8-15% for bacterial death (Brady and Molan, as reported in Molan 1996).

Research has shown that when comparing two groups of burn victims where one group was treated with Active Manuka Honey, also called Active Manuka Honey, and the other group with regular wound treatment for burns, that the patients treated with Manuka Honey could be released 1 week earlier from the hospital and not one patient of the honey treated group needed skin grafting.

Active UMF Manuka Honey also inhibits the growth of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) at about half the concentration of clover honey with hydrogen peroxide activity (Allen 2000). Honey, including Manuka Honey, has shown the prevent the growth of Pseudomonas spp. found on the surface of a wound even if the honey was diluted 10 fold by exudation from the tissue (Cooper and Molan 1996).

In addition to the antimicrobial activity present in Active Manuka Honey, the honey also enhances wound healing by a variety of other means. (Molan 1998/1999, Subrahmanyam 1991). These include

a) providing a moist, but sterile environment for tissue re-growth which enhances tissue formation and reduces tissue deformity,
b) eliminating tissue damage caused by the use of standard antibiotics,
c) the osmotic effect pulling up serum from the body into the wound,
d) the osmotic effect absorbing pus in the wound,
e) providing glucose used by white blood cells to create the 'respiratory burst' needed to destroy bacteria,
f) providing a pliable barrier between wound and dressing, which protects new re-growth tissue from being torn away when the dressing is changed
g) providing acidification of the wound, which has been shown to stimulate healing, by creating an anti-inflammatory effect through the reduction in the number of inflammatory cells in wound tissue (honey has antioxidant properties) providing wound bacteria with nutrients instead of amino acids, thus encouraging the bacteria to produce lactic acid instead of ammonia (the chemical associated with odor in skin ulcers).

Molan (1998) has carried out comprehensive review of case studies, animal studies and randomized clinical trials, where honey was used to treat wounds, burns and skin ulcers. Dunford (2000) has presented case studies describing the use of UMF Manuka Honey in the treatment of wound and chronically infected lesions, including a case where massive skin lesions and necrosis resulting from meningococcal septicemia not responding to conventional treatment, healed completely within 10 weeks of the start of Manuka Honey treatment (Dunford, 2000).

On the official Web site of the Waikato Honey Research Unit of the Waikato University, the interested public can read more about recent research projects on Active Manuka Honey and find further resources: http://bio.waikato.ac.nz/honey/contents.shtml