title: Manuka honey inhibits adhesion and invasion of medically important wound bacteria in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the effect of manuka honey on medically important wound bacteria in vitro, focusing on its antiadhesive properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Crystal violet biofilm assays, fluorescent microscopy, protein adhesion assay and gentamicin protection assay were used to determine the impact of manuka honey on biofilm formation, human protein binding and adherence to/invasion into human keratinocytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Manuka honey effectively disrupted and caused extensive cell death in biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pyogenes. Sublethal doses of manuka honey inhibited bacterial adhesion to the fibronectin, fibrinogen and collagen. Manuka honey impaired adhesion of laboratory and clinical isolates of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and S. pyogenes to human keratinocytes in vitro, and inhibited invasion by S. pyogenes and homogeneous vancomycin intermediate S. aureus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Manuka honey can directly affect bacterial cells embedded in a biofilm and exhibits antiadhesive properties against three common wound pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff School of Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Western Avenue, Llandaff, Cardiff, CF5 2YB, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah Elizabeth
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Maddocks
authors.forename: Rowena Eleri
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Richard Samuel
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rowlands
authors.forename: Kevin John
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Purdy
authors.forename: Rose Agnes
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents