Synergism between Medihoney and Rifampicin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Müller, P; Alber, DG; Turnbull, L; Schlothauer, RC; Carter, DA; Whitchurch, CB; Harry, EJ

Synergism between Medihoney and Rifampicin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Müller, P Alber, DG Turnbull, L

Schlothauer, RC Carter, DA Whitchurch, CB

Harry, EJ

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: PLoS ONE, 2013, 8 (2)
Issue Date:: 2013-02-28

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Müller, P	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Alber, DG	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Turnbull, L https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9255-9033	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Schlothauer, RC	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Carter, DA	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	2013-01-24	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013-02-28	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	PLoS ONE, 2013, 8 (2)	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/53624
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. © 2013 Müller et al.	en_US
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/GNT0571905
dc.relation.ispartof	PLoS ONE	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1371/journal.pone.0057679	en_US
dc.subject.classification	General Science & Technology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Leptospermum	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Staphylococcal Skin Infections	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Rifampin	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Plant Extracts	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Anti-Bacterial Agents	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Risk	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Resistance, Bacterial	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Synergism	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus	en_US
dc.title	Synergism between Medihoney and Rifampicin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.for	1108 Medical Microbiology	en_US
utslib.for	0605 Microbiology	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:

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. © 2013 Müller et al.

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

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/26358