Over the years many substances have been used on wounds and ulcers as antiseptics, some with a degree of efficacy, many with little or none.
Alcohol usage is as old as fermentation, iodine has stood the test of time and combined with alcohol, tincture of iodine, it enjoyed a long period of popularity--if you could endure its fierce sting!
To the relief of suffering patients and kids with scratches, more user friendly aqueous iodine preparations have now replaced it.
With the advent of antibiotics after World War II, antiseptics were relegated to lesser status for these new miracle drugs were going to cure everything.
But by virtue of the biological cunning of bacteria and injudicious medical overuse of the drugs, many such bacteria are developing resistance to them.
So it's back to antiseptics, and the efficacy of honey as an external dressing has been rediscovered. It’s antibacterial activity is due to several properties:
Hypertonicity – Only 18-19% water, it is very concentrated and drags water out of bacteria turning them ‘from grapes to raisins’; and
Acidity (pH 3.5 - 5.5) – Its neutralising effect on the alkalinity of infected tissues inhibits bacterial growth.
Hydrogen peroxide, a well recognised antiseptic, is made by bacterial enzyme action on honey contents.
Its acts on bacteria by destroying the biofilms which surround and protect them, like demolishing a brick wall
All fresh untreated honey has some antiseptic qualities, but honey containing this specific floral factor has much greater powers.
New Zealanders have long known that honey from Manuka species is an effective topical antiseptic.
Due to continuing intense research, we know that not all these species produce highly active honey, but some Australian honeys are more active than Manuka.
The active floral specific substance has been identified as methylglyoxal (MGO) and its concentration is used to measure the efficacy of the honey and compare floral varieties.
Leptospermum honey is effective against notoriously resistant organisms such as multi-resistant staphylococcus aureus (commonly known as ‘golden staph’), which so far have not been found to develop resistance.
It has other virtues which make it ideal for topical use on infected and open discharging wounds and sloughing ulcers – the dressings do not stick and smell is counteracted.
One note of warning, honey can contain tetanus and botulism spores, so wound dressing honey is irradiated.
For the same reason it is advised that fresh raw honey should not be fed to babies under one year.
