Background: This study aims to explore the antimicrobial activity of Ethiopian stingless bee honey against human pathogenic microbes, which are increasingly developing drug resistance. Reports indicate that stingless bee honey possesses numerous medicinal properties, including potential therapeutic benefits. It serves as an antiseptic, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory agent, and promotes wound healing.
Methods: Four concentrations 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% were used to examine the antibacterial effects on human pathogens using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The inhibitory effects of these concentrations were observed over exposure periods of 48 hours and 72 hours, compared with both a negative control (sterilized water) and a positive control (Chloramphenicol) against two Gram-negative and two Gram-positive bacteria. A P-value of <0.005 was considered significant.
Results: In the disk diffusion assay, antibacterial activity was observed for stingless bee honey against the tested strains. The significance of the time depended on the working concentration prepared and the species of bacteria used. The standard drug inhibited more Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive. The 100% concentration inhibited Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli more than it did Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis.
Conclusion: This research provides a novel perspective on the antibacterial effects of stingless bee honey against pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Salmonella typhi ATCC 8759, and Gram- positive bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. The significance of time and concentrations was found to depend on the bacterial species. The bacterial species-dependent nature of the significance of time and concentrations was observed. These bacteria were identified to have a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 25%. The honey samples tested in this work demonstrated antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results reported here highlight the potential of using stingless bee honey to control bacterial growth. It was revealed by this study that honeydew honey produced by stingless bees has promising antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains.
Published Date: 2024-03-26; Received Date: 2024-01-26