Antimicrobial Activity of Bee Honey on Selected Bacteria, Isolated from Different Clinical Specimens from Sharg Elneel Hospital

Abstract

This study was aimed to measure the antibacterial activity of five concentrations of honey on bacteria isolated from different clinical specimens. This study was carried out on Sharg Elneel Hospital in Khartoum state, in the period between March to June 2016. Hundred isolates from different clinical specimens were selected. Firstly the antibacterial activity of commonly used antibiotics including ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and ceftriaxone was measured using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique, then antibacterial activity of honey was measured using cup plate method, five holes were made by sterile cork borer, then the five holes on each Petri dish were filled with different honey concentrations. All Petri dishes were then incubated at 37oC for 18 hours. The results showed that gentamicin was the most effective antibiotic inhibiting 54% of organisms followed by ciprofloxacin inhibited 48% of organisms, while ceftriaxone was the worst one that inhibited only 16% of all organisms. On the other hand both100% (v/v) and 50%(v/v) of honey were more efficient than the tested antibiotics by inhibiting 70% of clinical isolates, while 59% of organisms were inhibited by 25% (v/v) honey and 12.5% (v/v) honey inhibited only 11% of organisms. Since all organisms were resistant to the fourth concentration of 6.25% (v/v) honey, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 12.5% (v/v) honey. Regarding organisms honey was most effective against isolated Staphylococcus aureus, inhibiting 75% of isolates. Favorable results also obtained against 72% of isolated Escherichia coli isolates. 50% and 40% of Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris isolates were inhibited respectively. While 40% of Klebsiella pneumoniae were inhibited and the lowest activity of honey was shown against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, inhibiting only 33% of the isolates. From these results we can conclude that honey has broad activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Therefore honey can be regarded as a broad spectrum antibacterial agent.