Antibacterial Activity of Honey on Wound Isolates from Patients Attending Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi

The medical importance of honey has been documented in many old medical literatures and since ancient times. It has been known to poses antimicrobial properties and wound healing activity; this is mostly due to the enzymatic production of hydrogen peroxide H ₂ O ₂ , some non-peroxide components and its acidic nature. The current problems with conventional antibacterial agents have led to the choice of honey and other natural products by the populace in treatment of bacterial infections. The present study therefore evaluates the Antibacterial activity of honey on wound isolates from patients attending Benue state university, Makurdi and compared same with ampiclox. Different concentrations (50, 75 and 100%) honey were studied using agar disc diffusion on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis and data was subjected to chi-square analysis. All bacteria were susceptible to honey at 100% concentration. Proteus mirabilis had the highest Z.I (25mm), S. aureus (23mm), E. coli (22mm) and Klebsiella (10mm). Inhibition zone of neat honey and ampliclox on test bacteria were E. coli (22, 20mm), S. aureus (23, 25mm), Proteus mirabilis (25, 23mm) and Klebsiella (10, 11mm) respectively. While antibacterial activity at different dilutions was significant, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of honey was determined using broth dilution method and data obtained presented Proteus mirabilis as most susceptible organism and Klebsiella the least. Honey also had an acidic pH of 4.15 and ash content of 0.029g. The neat concentration (100%) had potency similar but not superior to that of ampiclox. Increase in this branch of alternative medicine and consumption of honey is therefore highly recommended.