Antibacterial efficacy of crude and diluted honey on four wound isolates

Abstract

The antimicrobials activities of crude and diluted honey were determined against four clinical isolates
from surface and deep wounds. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella
pneumoniae and Escherichia coli were isolated from wounds by routine microbiological methods. Kirby
Bauer’s disc diffusion method was employed in determining the susceptibility of bacterial isolates to
different concentrations of honey. The results from the zone of inhibition obtained (in mm) showed that
the growth of all isolates was completely inhibited by 20-100% honey concentrations. The minimum
inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of honey for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were at 10 % (v/v) while that of
E.coli and K. pneumoniae were 20% (v/v). The degree of susceptibility of the wound isolates to honey was
compared with that of ten commercially available antibiotic discs. The result obtained revealed that the
susceptibility pattern of honey at 40% (v/v) compared favourably and better than amoxicillin,
streptomycin, ceftriazone and erythromycin.