The Effect of New Zealand Kanuka, Manuka and Clover Honeys on Bacterial Growth Dynamics and Cellular Morphology Varies According to the Species

Lu, J; Carter, DA; Turnbull, L; Rosendale, D; Hedderley, D; Stephens, J; Gannabathula, S; Steinhorn, G; Schlothauer, RC; Whitchurch, CB; Harry, EJ

The Effect of New Zealand Kanuka, Manuka and Clover Honeys on Bacterial Growth Dynamics and Cellular Morphology Varies According to the Species

Lu, J Carter, DA Turnbull, L

Rosendale, D Hedderley, D Stephens, J Gannabathula, S Steinhorn, G Schlothauer, RC Whitchurch, CB

Harry, EJ

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: PLoS ONE, 2013, 8 (2)
Issue Date:: 2013-02-13

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Lu, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Carter, DA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Turnbull, L https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9255-9033	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Rosendale, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hedderley, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Stephens, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Gannabathula, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Steinhorn, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Schlothauer, RC	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Whitchurch, CB https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2296-3791	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Harry, EJ https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0858-9473	en_US
dc.date.available	2013-01-04	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013-02-13	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	PLoS ONE, 2013, 8 (2)	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/53618
dc.description.abstract	Treatment of chronic wounds is becoming increasingly difficult due to antibiotic resistance. Complex natural products with antimicrobial activity, such as honey, are now under the spotlight as alternative treatments to antibiotics. Several studies have shown honey to have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity at concentrations present in honey dressings, and resistance to honey has not been attainable in the laboratory. However not all honeys are the same and few studies have used honey that is well defined both in geographic and chemical terms. Here we have used a range of concentrations of clover honey and a suite of manuka and kanuka honeys from known geographical locations, and for which the floral source and concentration of methylglyoxal and hydrogen peroxide potential were defined, to determine their effect on growth and cellular morphology of four bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While the general trend in effectiveness of growth inhibition was manuka>manuka-kanuka blend>kanuka>clover, the honeys had varying and diverse effects on the growth and cellular morphology of each bacterium, and each organism had a unique response profile to these honeys. P. aeruginosa showed a markedly different pattern of growth inhibition to the other three organisms when treated with sub-inhibitory concentrations of honey, being equally sensitive to all honeys, including clover, and the least sensitive to honey overall. While hydrogen peroxide potential contributed to the antibacterial activity of the manuka and kanuka honeys, it was never essential for complete growth inhibition. Cell morphology analysis also showed a varied and diverse set of responses to the honeys that included cell length changes, cell lysis, and alterations to DNA appearance. These changes are likely to reflect the different regulatory circuits of the organisms that are activated by the stress of honey treatment. © 2013 Lu et al.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	PLoS ONE	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1371/journal.pone.0055898	en_US
dc.subject.classification	General Science & Technology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Bacillus subtilis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Escherichia coli	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Staphylococcus aureus	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Medicago	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Kunzea	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Leptospermum	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Anti-Bacterial Agents	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Microbial Sensitivity Tests	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Honey	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	New Zealand	en_US
dc.title	The Effect of New Zealand Kanuka, Manuka and Clover Honeys on Bacterial Growth Dynamics and Cellular Morphology Varies According to the Species	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.for	060501 Bacteriology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - ithree - Institute of Infection, Immunity and Innovation
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	8	en_US

Abstract:

Treatment of chronic wounds is becoming increasingly difficult due to antibiotic resistance. Complex natural products with antimicrobial activity, such as honey, are now under the spotlight as alternative treatments to antibiotics. Several studies have shown honey to have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity at concentrations present in honey dressings, and resistance to honey has not been attainable in the laboratory. However not all honeys are the same and few studies have used honey that is well defined both in geographic and chemical terms. Here we have used a range of concentrations of clover honey and a suite of manuka and kanuka honeys from known geographical locations, and for which the floral source and concentration of methylglyoxal and hydrogen peroxide potential were defined, to determine their effect on growth and cellular morphology of four bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While the general trend in effectiveness of growth inhibition was manuka>manuka-kanuka blend>kanuka>clover, the honeys had varying and diverse effects on the growth and cellular morphology of each bacterium, and each organism had a unique response profile to these honeys. P. aeruginosa showed a markedly different pattern of growth inhibition to the other three organisms when treated with sub-inhibitory concentrations of honey, being equally sensitive to all honeys, including clover, and the least sensitive to honey overall. While hydrogen peroxide potential contributed to the antibacterial activity of the manuka and kanuka honeys, it was never essential for complete growth inhibition. Cell morphology analysis also showed a varied and diverse set of responses to the honeys that included cell length changes, cell lysis, and alterations to DNA appearance. These changes are likely to reflect the different regulatory circuits of the organisms that are activated by the stress of honey treatment. © 2013 Lu et al.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/26280