ArticlePloS one2019
Antibacterial activity of varying UMF-graded Manuka honeys.
Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers.
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Who cites it
46 citing papers in PubMed, 94 citations in OpenAlex.
- Manuka honey as a multifunctional therapeutic against Helicobacter pylori: from chemical profiling to in vitro potency and in vivo gastroprotective efficacy.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026Article
- Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF)-dependent antimicrobial activity of Mānuka honey against respiratory pathogens cannot be explained by sugar and methylglyoxal alone.Microbiology (Reading, England) · 2026Article
- Bioactive Constituents, Mechanisms, and Complementary Therapeutic Applications of Food-Medicine Continuum Materia Medica for Atherosclerosis Prevention and Treatment.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Clinical and Postoperative Applications of Manuka Honey in Wound Healing: An Evidence-Based Review.International wound journal · 2026Review
- Medicinal Honeys from Oceania: An Updated Review on Their Bioactive Constituents and Health Applications.Biotech (Basel (Switzerland)) · 2026Review
- Antimicrobial Resistance: The Answers.British journal of biomedical science · 2026Review
- Honey and cancer: from traditional medicine to modern adjuvant therapy.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- Manuka honey as a natural remedy for diabetic foot ulcers: efficacy compared with silver-based dressing.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Physicochemical Properties, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities and Anti-Hepatocarcinogenic Effect and Potential Mechanism ofFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- In Vitro Evidence for the Efficacy of Manuka Honey and Its Components Against the Major Human PathogenicPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Antibacterial Properties, Arabinogalactan Proteins, and Bioactivities of New Zealand Honey.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Honey as a Natural Antimicrobial.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Article
- Bee-Inspired Healing: Apitherapy in Veterinary Medicine for Maintenance and Improvement Animal Health and Well-Being.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- The Potential of Fish Oil Components and Manuka Honey in Tackling Chronic Wound Treatment.Microorganisms · 2024Review
- Biological studies of the activity of Manuka honey against Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) bacteria.Saudi medical journal · 2024Article
- Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Mediated Antibacterial Oxidative Therapies: Available Methods to Generate ROS and a Novel Option Proposal.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Manuka honey as a non-antibiotic alternative againstFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2024Review
- Methylglyoxal suppresses microglia inflammatory response through NRF2-IκBζ pathway.Redox biology · 2023Article
- Assessing the Antimicrobial Properties of Honey Protein Components through In Silico Comparative Peptide Composition and Distribution Analysis.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Honey has been used as a traditional remedy for skin and soft tissue infections due to its ability to promote wound healing. Manuka honey is recognized for its unusually abundant content of the antibacterial compound, methylglyoxal (MGO). The Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) grading system reflects the MGO concentration in Manuka honey sold commercially. Our objective was to observe if UMF values correlated with the antibacterial activity of Manuka honey against a variety of pathogens purchased over the counter. The antibacterial effect of Manuka honey with UMF values of 5+, 10+, and 15+ from the same manufacturer was assessed by the broth microdilution method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined against 128 isolates from wound cultures representing gram-positive, gram-negative, drug-susceptible, and multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms. Lower MICs were observed with UMF 5+ honey for staphylococci (n = 73, including 25 methicillin-resistant S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 22, including 10 MDR) compared to UMF 10+ honey (p<0.05) and with UMF 10+ compared to UMF 15+ (p = 0.01). For Enterobacteriaceae (n = 33, including 14 MDR), MIC values were significantly lower for UMF 5+ or UMF 10+ compared to UMF 15+ honey (p<0.01). MIC50 for UMF 5+, UMF 10+, and UMF 15+ honey against staphylococci was 6%, 7%, and 15%, and for Enterobacteriaceae was 21%, 21%, and 27%, respectively. For Pseudomonas aeruginosa MIC50 was 21% and MIC90 was 21-27% for all UMFs. Manuka honey exhibited antimicrobial activity against a spectrum of organisms including those with multi-drug resistance, with more potent activity overall against gram-positive than gram-negative bacteria. Manuka honey with lower UMF values, in our limited sampling, paradoxically demonstrated increased antimicrobial activity among the limited samples tested, presumably due to changes in MGO content of honey over time. The UMF value by itself may not be a reliable indicator of antibacterial effect.
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