CARDIFF, Wales, Sep 9, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Manuka honey may kill bacteria
by destroying key bacterial proteins, researchers in Wales suggest.
Dr. Rowena Jenkins and colleagues at the University of Wales Institute in
Cardiff broke down the cells of laboratory grown Meticillin resistant
Staphylococcus aureus that had been treated with and without manuka honey for
four hours as well as with sugar syrup -- to determine if the effects seen were
due to the sugar content in honey.
When the proteins were isolated and separated on a system that displayed each
protein as an individual spot, fewer proteins were seen from the manuka
honey-treated MRSA cells. One particular protein key to fatty acid biosynthesis
-- FabI -- seemed to be missing entirely.
"Manuka and other honeys have been known to have wound healing and
anti-bacterial properties for some time," Jenkins said in a statement.
The findings are being presented in Edinburgh at the Society for General
Microbiology's meeting at Heriot-Watt University.
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