CHARACTERIZATION OF A LOCAL RAW HONEY SAMPLE AND ASSESSMENT OF ITS ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

Abstract

Antimicrobial agents, specially antibiotics, are the first and the most important medicine to fight the infectious diseases worldwide. The emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens is greatly reducing the efficacy of this wonder drug. With rampant and widespread misuse of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance nowadays is a global threat to human health. Hence, the search for newer strategies to combat antibiotic resistance and infectious diseases is gaining impetus with each passing day. The use of natural products is an attractive alternative due to its low toxicity, easy availability and potent activities. Honey, the concentrated sweetener of nature, has long been known for its medicinal values. In traditional Indian medicine honey had been used as an external wound healer as well as an internal medication. In recent years various reports have been published about the antimicrobial activity of different raw, unheated honey samples against both broad range of bacterial and fungal species. Here we report the antimicrobial activity of a raw, untreated honey sample procured from a local beehive. The honey showed significant inhibitory effect against Pseudomonas sp. and Vibrio sp. at 50% and 25% (v/v) concentrations. Antifungal activity against Candida sp. and Aspergillus sp. was also observed. The physical and chemical parameters of the honey were also characterized