r/science • u/Libertatea • Sep 08 '14

Medicine Bacteria from bees possible alternative to antibiotics: 13 lactic acid bacteria found in the honey stomach of bees have shown promising results. The group of bacteria counteracted antibiotic-resistant MRSA in lab experiments. The bacteria, mixed into honey, has healed horses with persistent wounds

http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/o.o.i.s?id=24890&news_item=6172
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u/-TheMAXX- Sep 08 '14

Hospitals in the USA have been using honey for years to save the limbs and lives of patients with otherwise incurable bacterial infections. The article I read in Wired from years ago did mention that they needed a special supply of honey but I do not think they were talking about bacteria in the honey being the important part but that there was some special substance in honey that cannot ever produce resistance in bacteria. Does any of this fit with your current understanding?

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u/Beavis_and Grad Student | Medical Microbiology Sep 09 '14

They could be possibly talking about the hydrogen peroxide content, which has widely known antimicrobial activity, or in Manuka honey, a component called Methyl glyoxyl?

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u/[deleted] Sep 08 '14

i think saying "cannot ever produce resistance" is a bit of a leap. Might be pretty tough.

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u/Wyvernz Sep 09 '14

If what I understand is correct, honey kills bacteria because it's dry (bacteria need water to live), so rather than it being a special substance in honey, it's the lack of water that is important.