Synergism between medihoney and rifampicin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Carter, D; Schlothauer, R; Alber, D; Turnbull, L; Whitchurch, C; Muller, P; Harry, E

Synergism between medihoney and rifampicin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Carter, D Schlothauer, R Alber, D Turnbull, L Whitchurch, C Muller, P Harry, E

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Publisher:: Public library of Science
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Carter, Dee et al. 2013, 'Synergism between medihoney and rifampicin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)', Public library of Science, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. e57679
Issue Date:: 2013

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Carter, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Schlothauer, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Alber, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Turnbull, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Whitchurch, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Muller, P	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Harry, E	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2013-11-03T17:05:39Z
dc.date.available	2013-11-03T17:05:39Z
dc.date.issued	2013	en_US
dc.identifier	2012001847	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Carter, Dee et al. 2013, 'Synergism between medihoney and rifampicin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)', Public library of Science, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. e57679	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1932-6203	en_US
dc.identifier.other	C1	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/24059
dc.description.abstract	Skin and chronic wound infections caused by highly antibiotic resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are an increasing and urgent health problem worldwide, particularly with sharp increases in obesity and diabetes. New Zealand manuka honey has potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, has been shown to inhibit the growth of MRSA strains, and bacteria resistant to this honey have not been obtainable in the laboratory. Combinational treatment of chronic wounds with manuka honey and common antibiotics may offer a wide range of advantages including synergistic enhancement of the antibacterial activity, reduction of the effective dose of the antibiotic, and reduction of the risk of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Medihoney in combination with the widely used antibiotic rifampicin on S. aureus. Using checkerboard microdilution assays, time-kill curve experiments and agar diffusion assays, we show a synergism between Medihoney and rifampicin against MRSA and clinical isolates of S. aureus. Furthermore, the Medihoney/rifampicin combination stopped the appearance of rifampicin-resistant S. aureus in vitro. Methylglyoxal (MGO), believed to be the major antibacterial compound in manuka honey, did not act synergistically with rifampicin and is therefore not the sole factor responsible for the synergistic effect of manuka honey with rifampicin. Our findings support the idea that a combination of honey and antibiotics may be an effective new antimicrobial therapy for chronic wound infections.	en_US
dc.publisher	Public library of Science	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Verified OK	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	PLoS One	en_US
dc.subject	LEPTOSPERMUM-SCOPARIUM HONEY; PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA; MANUKA HONEY; NEW-ZEALAND; ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY; ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY; RNA-POLYMERASE; METHYLGLYOXAL; ANTIBIOTICS; WOUNDS	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Medical Microbiology	en_US
dc.title	Synergism between medihoney and rifampicin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)	en_US
dc.type	Journal article
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.citation.number	2	en_US
utslib.location	USA	en_US
utslib.citation.startpage	e57679	en_US
utslib.identifier.org	SCI.Institute for Biotechnology of Infectious Diseases	en_US
utslib.for	110800	en_US
utslib.percentage	100	en_US
utslib.copyright.status	open_access

Abstract:

Skin and chronic wound infections caused by highly antibiotic resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are an increasing and urgent health problem worldwide, particularly with sharp increases in obesity and diabetes. New Zealand manuka honey has potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, has been shown to inhibit the growth of MRSA strains, and bacteria resistant to this honey have not been obtainable in the laboratory. Combinational treatment of chronic wounds with manuka honey and common antibiotics may offer a wide range of advantages including synergistic enhancement of the antibacterial activity, reduction of the effective dose of the antibiotic, and reduction of the risk of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Medihoney in combination with the widely used antibiotic rifampicin on S. aureus. Using checkerboard microdilution assays, time-kill curve experiments and agar diffusion assays, we show a synergism between Medihoney and rifampicin against MRSA and clinical isolates of S. aureus. Furthermore, the Medihoney/rifampicin combination stopped the appearance of rifampicin-resistant S. aureus in vitro. Methylglyoxal (MGO), believed to be the major antibacterial compound in manuka honey, did not act synergistically with rifampicin and is therefore not the sole factor responsible for the synergistic effect of manuka honey with rifampicin. Our findings support the idea that a combination of honey and antibiotics may be an effective new antimicrobial therapy for chronic wound infections.

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