Honey Boosts Healthy Gut Bacteria

Their early findings were presented at Apimondia in 2009 and it's great to finally read what they were so excited about. Honey bees protect their pollen and bee bread with healthy bacteria, good for them, good for humans...

Healthy Lactic Acid Bacteria in Wild Honey Bees Can Fight Bacterial Infections

PLoS One, March 15, 2012

The stomachs of wild honey bees are full of healthy lactic acid bacteria that can fight bacterial infections in both bees and humans. A collaboration between researchers at three universities in Sweden - Lund University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Karolinska Institute - has produced findings that could be a step towards solving the problems of both bee deaths and antibiotic resistance.

The researchers have now published their results in the scientific journal PloS ONE and the legendary science photographer Professor Lennart Nilsson from Karolinska Institutet has illustrated the findings with his unique images.

Today, many people eat healthy lactic acid bacteria that are added to foods such as yogurt.

"In our previous studies, we have looked at honey bees in Sweden. What we have now found from our international studies is that, historically, people of all cultures have consumed the world's greatest natural blend of healthy bacteria in the form of honey", says Alejandra Vasquez, a researcher at Lund University.

In wild and fresh honey, which honey hunters collect from bees' nests in high cliffs and trees, there are billions of healthy lactic acid bacteria of 13 different types. This is in comparison with the 1-3 different types found in commercial probiotic products, she explains.

The honey bees have used these bacteria for 80 million years to produce and protect their honey and their bee bread (bee pollen), which they produce to feed the entire bee colony. The researchers have now also shown that the healthy lactic acid bacteria combat the two most serious bacterial diseases to affect honey bees…

"As humans have learnt to use honey to treat sore throats, colds and wounds, our hypothesis is that the healthy bee bacteria can also kill harmful disease bacteria in humans. We have preliminary, unpublished results which show that this could be a new tool to complement or even replace antibiotics", says Alejandra Vasquez…

Honey Suppresses Mutagenic Pathways in E.Coli

Encouraging news for beekeepers worldwide harvesting monofloral honeys... Encouraging news for hospitals worldwide with antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli...

Suppression of Error Prone Pathway is Responsible for Antimutagenic Activity of Honey

Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2012, Jan 14

Honey, both unifloral (Syzygiumcumuni) and bifloral, demonstrated strong antimutagenicity against physical (UV, γ) and chemical (Ethylmethane sulfonate) mutagens as ascertained by rpoB/RifR and Ames tests.

The effect of honey was evaluated in radiation (UV or γ) exposed E. coli cells for SOS response, a well known error prone repair pathway known to significantly contribute to mutagenicity by quantifying LexA repressor level, measuring cell filamentation frequency, and prophage induction by SIVET (Selectable – In - Vivo Expression Technology) assay. LexA was almost completely degraded, phenotypically long filamentous cells (∼30 μm) were formed, and SIVET induction frequency was increased in radiation exposed E. coli cultures, however these changes were significantly inhibited in presence of honey confirming its strong antimutagenic nature. Further, rpoB/RifR mutation frequency upon UV exposure in E. coli recA- cells was found to be negligible, whereas, E. coliumuC- and umuD- knockouts showed comparatively higher mutation frequency. Honey did not show any effect on mutagenesis in these knockouts, indicating the SOS dependence of the observed mutagenesis.

Honey was also found to suppress EMS induced mutagenesis but through SOS independent mechanism.

Phenolics present in honey were found to be one of the important factors contributing to the antimutagenicity of honey.

Highlights:

• Pollen analysis indicated commercial Indian honey as unifloral and bifloral.
• It showed broad spectrum antimutagenicity by Ames and E .colirpoB/RifR tests.
• Honey suppressed E. coli SOS response, an error-prone repair process.
• Error-prone repair is one of the major causes of mutagenesis.
• Honey inhibited LexA degradation, cell filamentation and prophage induction.

Honey: The 'Bee Penicillin' That Could Even Beat MRSA

a well-researched author with concise references to the latest discoveries of the benefits of honey...

Honey: The 'Bee Penicillin' That Could Even Beat MRSA

By Gloria Havenhand, Daily Mail (UK), 11/19/2011

It is often hailed as a natural, healthy sweetener – but in most cases, honey bought from supermarkets today is simply sugar syrup with no nutritional value at all. To reap the true benefits of what was dubbed ‘the food of the gods’ by the Ancient Greeks, you have to look for the raw variety.

Perfectly clear honey has usually undergone a process of ultrafiltration and pasteurisation, which involves heating and passing it through a fine mesh, to ensure it remains runny at any temperature. This strips away many of the unique chemicals and compounds that make it a nutritious and healing health food…

Raw honey is particularly high in polyphenols, an antioxidant that has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, lowering blood cholesterol and combating heart disease. The darkest varieties of honey include heather and hedgerow honey, which have a polyphenol content of 201mg per gram. In contrast, rapeseed oil honey, known in supermarkets as ‘blossom honey’, trails behind at just 71mg per gram.

The white ring of pollen on the top contains B vitamins, Vitamins C, D and E as well as minerals and 31 other antioxidants, although to get close to your recommended daily amounts of each nutrient you need a pollen supplement…

The University of Waikato in New Zealand found that when raw honey was applied to MRSA infected antibiotic-resistant wounds, they became sterile and healed so quickly that patients could leave hospital weeks earlier. Scarring was minimised because peeling back a dressing glazed in honey – as opposed to a dry bandage – did not disturb the new tissue underneath. If you suffer a minor wound or burn, glaze a bandage with raw honey and cover. Change the glazed bandage every 24 hours and any cuts or signs of infection should disappear within a week (if not, see a doctor).

While manuka honey – a variety produced using only nectar and pollen from the manuka bush in New Zealand – gets the majority of press for being antibacterial, a good-quality raw UK honey will also be powerfully antibacterial and can kill E.coli and MRSA…

Raw honey’s anti-inflammatory properties can help soothe chronic skin conditions. Cleopatra famously bathed in milk and honey because of their skin-softening qualities – honey is a natural emollient as it is humectant (it attracts water). Melting half a jar of raw honey into a warm bath will promote healing in patients suffering with skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema, too. Mixed with olive oil, raw honey applied to the scalp is also a great tonic for those suffering with a seborrheic dermatitis (a flaky scalp condition).

Antimicrobial Compound Found in Sunflower Honey

this study reinforces the advantages of cooking with honey instead sugar -- protect your food and your body!

Worobo Discovers Compound in a Honey That Could Lead to a New Natural Preservative

Amanda Garris, ChronicleOnline, 10/17/11

Honey has been used as a topical antibiotic since the Egyptians wrote papyrus prescriptions. Now, a Cornell food scientist has identified an antimicrobial compound in a honey that makes it a promising candidate as a natural preservative to prevent food-borne illness and food spoilage.

Randy Worobo, associate professor of food microbiology at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, and his lab members tested more than 2,000 strains of bacteria from eight types of honey from the United States and New Zealand. One of them stood out.

"In sunflower honey from South Dakota, we identified a strain of Bacillus thuringiensis the biological control known to organic gardeners as 'Bt' — which was effective against common food-borne pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria behind the recent deadly cantaloupe outbreak," said Worobo. "This Bt strain was intriguing, because it had both strong antibacterial and strong antifungal activity."

In analyzing the compounds produced by the bacteria, they found one with strong antibacterial activity that they designated as thurincin H. They recognized it as a bacteriocin, a common class of antimicrobials that bacteria produce to compete against other microbes. But compared with the some 40 known bacteriocins, it is unique: It is coded in the bacterial DNA as a unit containing three identical copies of the same bacteriocin gene.

Their findings were reported in September in Angewandte Chemie International Edition…. 

..."Bacteriocins are promising natural food preservatives for the food, livestock and agricultural industries," said Worobo. "Because they come from food-grade microorganisms, they are generally regarded as safe."

Research Center on Apitherapy Planned for UK

promising news for complementary and alternative medical practitioners worldwide....

Study of bees may be medicinal honeypot

13 September 2011; Yorkshire Post

The next time you feel tempted to swat a bee, considerthis fact:

You are attacking a flying pharmacy.

Mankind has mistreated bees for centuries, and ourignorance means we’ve lost the chance to eradicate a host of lethal diseases.

With help from a team of Yorkshire-based bee lovers,we could be about to get a second chance.

Entrepreneur James Fearnley plans to establish acentre in the North York Moors which will study how bees can improve ourhealth.

Mr Fearnley predicts that the centre will create 10jobs in the heart of the National Park, at a time when the public sectorspending squeeze is making life harder for rural communities.

Mr Fearnley, who is the founder of Whitby-basedNature’s Laboratory, believes it would be the height of folly to take bees forgranted. His company is behind the BeeVital brand, which develops productsderived from bees.

The long term survival of the honey bee is in questionwhile researchers are discovering some “astounding medicinal properties forproducts produced by honey”, according to Mr Fearnley.

”Everyone now knows about the antibiotic properties ofhoney, but we have discovered that bees are collecting a chemical antidote toTrypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) but only in areas where sleeping sicknessis found,’’ he said.

“In tropical areas, where bees are seriouslychallenged by micro bacteria, they are collecting material that is highlyeffective against MRSA.”

If Mr Fearnley’s initiative succeeds, Yorkshire could become a global centre for the study ofbees.

He said yesterday: “Our vision is to develop aninternational focus for the better understanding of the medicinal values of beeproducts, or apiceuticals as we call them...

Coniferous, Thyme Honeys Show Highest Antibacterial Activity

general rule of thumb, the darker the honey, the more effective its antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Notice the effect on Staphylococcus aureus...

Antibacterial Activity of Different Honeys Against Pathogenic Bacteria

Anaerobe, Article in Press

To study the antimicrobial activity of honey, 60 samples of various botanical origin were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against 16 clinical pathogens and their respective reference strains. The microbiological quality of honeys and the antibiotic susceptibility of the various isolates were also examined.

The bioassay applied for determining the antimicrobial effect employs the well-agar diffusion method and the estimation of minimum active dilution which produces a 1 mm diameter inhibition zone.

All honey samples, despite their origin (coniferous, citrus, thyme or polyfloral), showed antibacterial activity against the pathogenic and their respective reference strains at variable levels.

Coniferous and thyme honeys showed the highest activity with an average minimum dilution of 17.4 and 19.2% (w/v) followed by citrus and polyfloral honeys with 20.8 and 23.8% respectively. Clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp.

Enterica, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus cereus and B. subtilis were proven to be up to 60% more resistant than their equal reference strains thus emphasizing the variability in the antibacterial effect of honey and the need for further research.

Propolis’ Synergistic Effect with Antibiotics Examined

This has been reported anecdotally for over 20 years. It's good to get some precision.
"Previous works... revealed that propolis has synergistic effects with antibiotics, acting on the bacterial wall and ribosome..." 

Propolis’ Synergistic Effect with Antibiotics Examined

Antibacterial Effects of Brazilian and Bulgarian Propolis and Synergistic Effects with Antibiotics Acting on the Bacterial DNA and Folic Acid
Nat Prod Res, 2011 Jan 1:1-6

Propolis is a honeybee product that has been used since ancient times because of its therapeutic effects.

It can be used in the development of alternative therapies for the treatment of many diseases, and because propolis shows antibacterial action, this work was carried out in order to investigate a possible synergism between propolis and antibiotics acting on DNA (ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin) and on the metabolism (cotrimoxazole) against Salmonella Typhi.

Propolis samples collected in Brazil and Bulgaria were compared in these assays, and the synergism was investigated by using ½ and ¼ of the minimal inhibitory concentration for propolis and antibiotics, evaluating the number of viable cells according to the incubation time.

Brazilian and Bulgarian propolis showed antibacterial activity, but no synergistic effects with the three tested antibiotics were seen. Previous works by our laboratory have revealed that propolis has synergistic effects with antibiotics, acting on the bacterial wall and ribosome, but it does not seem to interact with antibiotics acting on DNA or folic acid, and only a bacteriostatic action was seen in these assay conditions.