Comparative antibacterial activity of some Nigerian honey and commonly used antiseptic agents against strains of MRSA and other multidrug resistant staphylococci isolates from surgical wound infections

Abstract

Background: Alternative and effective means of reducing the bacterial burden of  surgical wound infections are urgently required as a result of the increasing  emergence of multiple-antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Objectives: Renewed interest in honey for the treatment of infected wounds has led to the search for new and effective antibacterial honeys.
Material and Methods: Honey samples obtained from three different geographical locations in Nigeria; Benue, Osun and Oyo states, and three commonly used antiseptics agents were screened against thirty-one strains of MRSA and other multidrug resistant staphylococci isolates from surgical wound infections using the agar dilution method.
Results: The susceptibility of the organisms to the three honey samples was not affected by the degree of their resistance to antibacterial agents. Ninety percent of pathogens were sensitive to 30%v/v of one of the honey samples while the other two samples inhibited growth of 71.0% of these pathogens. At the lowest concentration of 15% tested all the honey samples were able to inhibit some of the pathogens. Only 19.4%, 25.8%, and 3.2% of the staphylococcal pathogens were sensitive to cetrimide, acriflavine and chlorocresol respectively at 32μg/ml.
Conclusions: Honey from Nigeria would be effective alternative to antiseptic agents in the management of surgical wound infections caused by MRSA and other  multidrug-resistant staphylococci and may prove to be a valuable therapeutic agent.

Keywords: MRSA, Coagulase negative staphylococci, Antiseptics, Antibiotic  resistance, Honey.