Two main groups ofbacteria, classified as Gluconobacter and Lactobacillus, are present in ripening honey. A third bacterial group, classified asZymomonas, and several types of yeast are occasionally isolated. Both in natural honey and in synthetic syrup the bacterial population decreases in the course of the ripening process. Lactobacillus and Gluconobacter disappear after minimum moisture (abo...

Monofloral heather (Erica sp.) honey samples (n=89), harvested in Portugal according to European organic beekeeping rules, were analyzed to test their antifungal effect against Candida albicans, Candida krusei, and Cryptococcus neoformans. A synthetic honey solution was also tested to determine antifungal activity attributable to sugars. The specific growth rate (μ) values showed that growth of...

As natural products garner attention in the medical field, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria has confounded the current use of antibiotic therapy, leading to the re-examination of earlier remedies such as honey and royal jelly (RJ). Four varieties of honey and one variety of freshly reaped RJ were used to evaluate the additive antimicrobial action against Pseudomonas aer...

Diabetes mellitus remains an incurable disorder in spite of intense research. As result of limitations and unmet goals associated with the use of anti-diabetic drugs, an increased number of diabetic populations globally now resort to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as herbs and other natural products. There has been a renewed interest in the use of honey in the treatment of di...

The importance of honey bees to the world economy far surpasses their contribution in terms of honey production; they are responsible for up to 30% of the world's food production through pollination of crops. Since fall 2006, honey bees in the U.S. have faced a serious population decline, due in part to a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which is a disease syndrome that is like...

OBJECTIVES To compare honey and IntraSite Gel as woundhealing agents, to record side-effects, gauge patient satisfaction and calculate the cost-effectiveness of the honey used. DESIGN AND SETTING A prospective, randomised, double-blind controlled trial was carried out among goldmine workers. OUTCOME MEASURES Outcome measures were healing times of shallow wounds and abrasions; side-effects; ...

background and aims: candida albicans is the most common cause of vulvovaginitis candidiasis that is the most common vaginitis in human. it is estimated that more than 90% of these infections are caused by candida albicans. medical treatment for these infections is carried out with chemotherapeutic drugs such as azoles. the increasing resistance of c. albicans to the azoles as well as their pro...

BACKGROUND Many studies have demonstrated that honey has antibacterial activity in vitro, and a small number of clinical case studies have shown that application of honey to severely infected cutaneous wounds is capable of clearing infection from the wound and improving tissue healing. Research has also indicated that honey may possess anti-inflammatory activity and stimulate immune responses w...

OBJECTIVE Hydroxyl radical and hypochlorite anion formed at the wound site from superoxide anion produced by activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are considered important factors in impaired wound healing. Superoxide anion may also react with nitric oxide produced by macrophages to form peroxynitrite, a third strong oxidant that damages surrounding tissue. In order to select honey for...

INTRODUCTION The quest for formalin substitutes has long been going on due to its health hazards. Honey has been proven as a safe alternative to formalin. However, we explored more economical, eco-friendly & readily available substances like sugar & jaggery as natural substitutes for formalin. The aim of this study was to compare the tissue fixation abilities of honey, sugar syrup & jaggery syr...