Manuka honey, the magical remedy from New Zealand, has caught the attention of the surgical community. It may also be finding new uses in the medical world for this reason. Researchers led by scientists from Newcastle University and Ulster University in the United Kingdom found that applying tiny amounts of Manuka honey between layers of surgical mesh can act as a natural preventive antibiotic against infections. This allows doctors to minimize the risk after operations.
What have researchers discovered about Manuka honey?
Using alternative layers of Manuka honey and surgical mesh, scientists were able to create a natural antibiotic barrier. This contributed to infections caused by MRSA, staph andE. coli Bakteriento prevent. The researchers inserted 16 layers of alternating mesh material and nanometer honey. This allowed them to develop the technology that they could test in test tubes and in laboratory applications. The so-called nanocoatings of honey between the meshes thus created an electrostatic nanosealing. This actively fought the bacteria for three weeks by slowly releasing the honey.
Although these are only laboratory tests for now, these results provide promising evidence for the application of this technology. However, there is also a small subtlety to using Manuka honey in this way. “Too little honey will not be enough to fight the infection, while too much of it can kill the cells.” Piergiorgio Gentile, lead author and biomedical engineer at Newcastle University, said. “By making this 16-layer sandwich, we were able to ensure the honey was released in a controlled manner.”
Why does food play an important role?
The antibacterial benefits of Manuka honey are popular with many peopleHealth and well-beingused. Medicine has also generally used the miracle cure in the past. “Honey has been used to treat infected wounds for thousands of years. “But it is the first time it has been shown to be effective against infections of cells in the body,” Gentile said.
“By trapping the honey in a multi-layer seal on the mesh surface and slowly releasing it, we should be able to inhibit the growth of the bacteria and stop the infection before it even starts,” he added. This research was therefore motivated by the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the search for alternatives in the surgical field.
“Although researchers have studied numerous antibiotic-based coatings produced by layering techniques for the development of antibacterial implants, it has been found that the effectiveness of antibiotics may decrease over time due to the potential for the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.” This is what Elena Mancuso, a lecturer at the Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Center (NIBEC) at the University of Ulster, said.
What’s next for research?
As we mentioned, this study didn't go as far as testing its technology on live people. So more research is needed to test the application. The scientists view their research primarily as the development of medical implants. These will be infused with honey to fight infections naturally.
“With our study, we have demonstrated the promising combination of a naturally occurring antibacterial agent with a nano-engineering approach that can be translated to the design and development of novel medical devices with expanded functionality,” said Mancuso. While you may not see honey in surgery any time soon, there are countless reasons to do soagainst all types of insomnia, for intestinal health, in the fight against acneor allergies.
