Co esponding au ho : Cyp ian Emeka Oguji
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License 4.0.
Honey: A na u al po en an imic obial emedy agains wound pa hogens in
o hopaedic pa ien s
Chisom Cyn hia Owoh 1, Chineye N. Nwaekpe 2, Vic o Chisom Maka a 3, Jude Chizoba Nwachukwu 1, P ecious
Tochukwu Nwodo 4, Chibuike Ezeh 3, Joy Chineme em Eneh 3, Olayinka Adeyinka-Bada 5, Samuel Chide a
Ndukwu 6, Gab iel Moses Adu-Ojo 1, Di ine-Fa ou Chidiebe e Molokwu 7, Chisimdindu F ances Nnaji 3,
Cyp ian Emeka Oguji 1, * and F. Ngozi Onyemelukwe 1
1 Depa men o Medical Labo a o y Sciences, Uni e si y o Nige ia, Enugu.
2 Depa men o Medical Labo a o y Se ices, Na ional O hopaedic Hospi al Enugu, Nige ia.
3 Fi s Moscow S a e Medical Uni e si y (I.M Secheno ), Russia.
4 Secheno Fi s Moscow S a e Medical Uni e si y o he Minis y o Heal h o he Russian Fede a ion.
5 Facul y o Pha macy, Olabisi Onabanjo Uni e si y, Nige ia.
6 Depa men o Radiology, Na ional O hopedic Hospi al Enugu.
7 Lo d's Concep Academy Okpoko, Nige ia.
GSC Biological and Pha maceu ical Sciences, 2025, 33(01), 164-182
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 06 Sep embe 2025; e ised on 12 Oc obe 2025; accep ed on 14 Oc obe 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/gscbps.2025.33.1.0383
Abs ac
Wi h ise o an ibio ic esis ance, al e na i e an imic obials a e needed. Honey has been epo ed as one o he na u al
an imic obial agen s agains bac e ia due o i s na u al an ibac e ial p ope y and i s possession o hyd ogen
pe oxide(H2O2), low pH, high osmola i y among o he s. An imic obial ac i i y o wo a ie ies o honey which include
Oba Nuskka honey and Benue honey we e compa ed by assessing an ibac e ial ac i i ies agains isola es om in ec ed
wounds a Na ional O hopaedic Hospi al Enugu Nige ia (NOHE). A o al o 100 wound swabs we e analysed using
s anda d bac e iological me hods. Resul s showed ha ou o he 100 samples analysed, a o al o 128 isola es we e
de ec ed wi h he highes isola e being Pseudomonas ae uginosa 45.3% (58) bac e ia ollowed by, En e ococcus spp and
P o eus ulga is wi h 9.4% (12) each, Esche ichia coli 8.6% (11), and Ac inomyce es spp, Salmonella spp, Se a ia ubidae
pu all being he leas wi h 0.8% each. To al o 18 signi ican bac e ia species we e isola ed o which all es ed isola es
we e sensi i e o bo h a ie ies o honey used a 100% concen a ion. The Oba Nsukka honey a all concen a ions
p oduced la ge zones o inhibi ion han Benue honey. Honey ep esen s a na u al, cos -e ec i e, and sa e
complemen a y he apy o s anda d wound ca e p ac ices, wa an ing u he esea ch in o i s mechanisms o ac ion
and b oade clinical applica ions. Regula o y agencies should en o ce measu es o ensu e ha pu e unadul e a ed
honey is a ailable o pa ien ’s wound managemen .
Keywo ds: Honey; An imic obial Ac i i y; Wound In ec ions; Na u al An imic obial Agen s; Oba Nsukka Honey; Benue
Honey
1. In oduc ion
Wi h he g owing demand o al e na i e he apies agains species o bac e ial ha a e esis an o con en ional
he apy, he sea ch o good and sa e p oduc s s ill aces on. Honey being a na u al swee subs ance is p oduced by bees
using nec a om lowe s, has been used o i s medicinal p ope ies and also as a ood sou ce o many yea s [1]. I ’s
made up o suga s, wa e , enzymes, o ganic acids, i amins, mine als, and bioac i e compounds like phenols, la onoids
and me hylglyoxal (MGO) mos ly ound in Manuka honey. P ima ily, he ype o suga ound include, glucose and
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uc ose, in addi ion o wa e , enzymes, amino acids, i amins, mine als, and a ious an ioxidan s [1, 2]. I s composi ion
can a y depending on he lo al sou ces ha a e isi ed by he bees. Honey’s an ibac e ial ac i i y has been widely
s udied and documen ed, and i has been demons a ed o possess po en an imic obial p ope ies. Honey is a na u al
swee ene and a sou ce o ene gy due o i s suga con en [3].
Figu e 1 An imic obial Componen s o Honey
In Nige ia o example, honey has been used as a adi ional al e na i e medicine o he ea men o a ious ailmen s,
including wounds as epo ed by Ukwuoma and colleagues [4]. Gene ally, an ibac e ials play a c ucial ole in he
ea men o bac e ial in ec ions, including pneumonia, meningi is, and u ina y ac in ec ions (UTIs) [5]. In addi ion
o na u al p oduc s, syn he ic an ibac e ial agen s a e also being de eloped wi h he aim o di e si ying ea men
op ions. A well-known example is eixobac in, a newly disco e ed an ibio ic ha basically wo ks by a ge ing he
bac e ial cell wall. I has been epo ed o show signi ican e ec i eness and has also shown p omise in p eclinical
s udies [6]. Commonly, he use o honey in mino medical p ocedu es is o en necessi a ed by wounds [7].
Wounds a e inju ies o he skin o o he body issues ha can esul om a ious causes such as cu s, sc apes, bu ns,
bi es, o su gical incisions [8]. They a y in se e i y, om mino inju ies ha can be managed a home o se e e wounds
ha equi e immedia e medical a en ion. They a e a signi ican cause o mo bidi y and mo ali y among acciden
ic ims [9]. These in ec ions do no jus cause signi ican bu den o pa ien s, i can u he lead o p olonged hospi al
s ays, inc eased heal hca e cos s, and e en ampu a ions [10]. I is wo h o no e ha , he use o an ibio ics o he
ea men o in ec ions has con ibu ed o he de elopmen o an ibio ic esis ance [11]. As a esul , he e is a g owing
in e es in na u al emedies o wound managemen , and honey being a na u al p oduc , has eme ged as a po en ial
al e na i e due o i s b oad-spec um an imic obial p ope ies. Wound healing could be a ec ed by se e al ac o s such
as ad anced age, which is well epo ed o slowdown he p ocess [12], while ch onic illnesses on he o he hand can
u he impai eco e y [13]. Fu he mo e, li es yle habi s like smoking and alcohol consump ion a e also epo ed o
delay healing [14]. In addi ion, some d ugs could also in e e e wi h he epai p ocess [15]. By con as , epo ha e
also shown ha p ope hygiene and app op ia e wound ca e g ea ly imp o e healing ou comes [16].
In ecen imes, a lo o s udies ha e been ca ied ou o e alua e he e ec i eness o honey on wound isola es [17-19].
Due o i s ema kable e ec and ac i i y, i has a lo o po en compounds used in he elimina ion o skin in lamma ion
and wound complica ions. Fo example, a s udy conduc ed by Mandal and Mandal [20], showed ha honey possesses
signi ican an imic obial capabili ies, making i an indispensable al e na i e agen in managing se e al wound ypes,
such as bu ns, ulce s, and pos -su gical wounds, ul ima ely showcasing i s he apeu ic e sa ili y. Fu he mo e, i has
also been shown o be e icacious agains a b oad spec um o bac e ial species like S aphylococcus au eus and
Pseudomonas ae uginosa, he wo well know bac e ia pa hogens o en associa ed wi h wound in ec ions [21]. The s a e
o honey ob ain has also been epo ed o play a ole in e ms o e ec i eness. Unp ocessed honey (honey ha we e no
subjec ed o any o m o p e ea men like hea ing, exhibi s a e y wide ange o an ibac e ial e ec s agains a ious
ha m ul bac e ia, including hose implica ed in pa hogenesis, o al mic obio a, and ood de e io a ion [22]. Wi h honey’s
wide an ibac e ial ac i i y agains a b oad ange o mic oo ganisms including, G am-posi i e and G am-nega i e
bac e ia, hese makes hem a e y good choice o al e na i e he apies [20]. I is wo h s a ing ha , he an ibac e ial
ac i i y o honey is due o i s high suga con en , low pH, and he p esence o a ious compounds such as hyd ogen
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166
pe oxide, me hylglyoxal, and la onoids [23, 24]. These compounds ha e been shown o dis up bac e ial cell
memb anes, inhibi bac e ial me abolism, and induce oxida i e s ess, leading o bac e ial dea h. Again, a s udy by Al-
Jab i and colleagues [25], e alua ed he an ibac e ial ac i i y o honey agains bac e ial isola es ob ained om diabe ic
oo ulce s. The s udy ound ha honey was e ec i e agains bo h G am-posi i e and G am-nega i e bac e ia, including
me hicillin- esis an S aphylococcus au eus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas ae uginosa.
Simila ly, ano he s udy by Oladele and colleagues [26], in es iga ed he an ibac e ial ac i i y o honey agains bac e ial
isola es ha we e ob ained om su gical wounds. In e es ingly, he s udy ound ha honey was e ec i e agains a
b oad ange o bac e ial pa hogens, such as Me hicillin- esis an S aphylococcus au eus (MRSA), Klebsiella pneumoniae,
and Acine obac e baumannii. This u he highligh s he e ec i eness o honey as an al e na i e na u al emedy.
The an ibac e ial ac i i y o honey and he ype o honey can a y and his depends on se e al ac o s. The wo mos
impo an ac o s, a e he plan sou ce and he geog aphical loca ion. Fo ins ance, Manuka honey om New Zealand
has been ex ensi ely s udied o i s po en an ibac e ial ac i i y agains bo h G am-posi i e and G am-nega i e bac e ia,
including an ibio ic- esis an s ains [1, 27]. O he ypes o honey, such as Sid honey om Yemen, Tualang honey om
Malaysia, and Gelam honey om Indonesia, ha e also shown p omising an ibac e ial ac i i y [28].
Figu e 2 Map o Nige ia highligh ing Benue and Enugu s a es – sou ces o honey samples o esea ch
Gene ally, an ibac e ial ac i i y o honey on wound isola es om di e en hospi als in Enugu Nige ia, has been
demons a ed in a ious s udies bu no much has been done in he a ea o compa a i e analysis o he wo main sou ces
o honey in wo well-known egions -Enugu and Benue. A s udy by Eze and colleagues ca ied ou in a e ia y hospi al
in Enugu s a e Nige ia, showed ha he mos common bac e ia isola ed om wound in ec ions we e S aphylococcus
au eus, Esche ichia coli, Pseudomonas ae uginosa, and Klebsiella species [29]. To u he suppo hese indings, ano he
s udy by Odugbemi e al., ca ied ou in a seconda y heal hca e acili y in Enugu Nige ia, also epo ed simila indings,
wi h S. au eus, E. coli, and P. ae uginosa being he p edominan o ganisms isola ed om wound in ec ions [30]. No
doub , honey has shown p omising esul s in he ea men o wound in ec ions, including hose caused by an ibio ic-
esis an pa hogens. In e es ingly, honey has also been ound o ha e in addi ion o po en an imic obial p ope ies,
also o he bene icial e ec s on wound healing. E en medical-g ade honey has also been shown o be e ec i e in he
ea men o in ec ed wounds, including hose in ec ed wi h an ibio ic- esis an bac e ia [31]. An ibio ics wo k by
a ge ing speci ic componen s o he bac e ial cell, such as cell walls o p o ein syn hesis machine y, and inhibi ing o
impeding hei unc ion [32]. One al e na i e o an ibio ics is he use o na u al p oduc s, such as essen ial oils and plan
ex ac s, and hey ha e been ound o ha e an ibac e ial p ope ies. Fo example, ea ee oil has been shown o ha e
ac i i y agains a wide ange o bac e ia, including S aphylococcus au eus and Esche ichia coli [33]. Manuka honey is
GSC Biological and Pha maceu ical Sciences, 2025, 33(01), 164-182
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ano he na u al p oduc ha has been ound o ha e po en an ibac e ial ac i i y, pa icula ly agains an ibio ic-
esis an bac e ia [34].
The use o honey as a wound-healing agen in Enugu is common; howe e , he e is a lack o su icien scien i ic
compa a i e da a on i s e ec i eness agains bac e ial pa hogens commonly ound in wound in ec ions in his egion.
The ou comes o his esea ch could hold signi ican ele ance o ad ancing al e na i e he apeu ic s a egies agains
wound in ec ions, especially hose caused by bac e ia ha a e esis an o well-known con en ional an ibio ics. In
Nige ia, honey p oduc ion is common in many s a es, including Enugu and Benue S a es. One o he a eas in Enugu S a e
whe e honey p oduc ion is p e alen is Oba, Nsukka and mos ly ma ke ed and sold in shopping mall in Enugu s a e. A
s udy by Oke eke e al, epo ed ha honey p oduced in Oba, Nsukka, Enugu S a e, Nige ia, inhibi ed he g ow h o bo h
G am-posi i e and Nega i e bac e ia, making hem good candida e o use as an ibac e ial agen [35]. Simila ly, ano he
s udy by Ogundele e al, highligh ed he high nu i ional and medicinal alue o honey om Enugu S a e, a ibu ing i s
e ec i eness o s ong an ioxidan and an ibac e ial p ope ies [36]. Benue S a e, known as he ood baske o Nige ia,
is also a majo p oduce o honey. Fu he s udy e alua ed honey om di e en egions in he s a e and epo ed high
le els o phenols, la onoids, and an ioxidan ac i i y, which con ibu ed o i s an ibac e ial p ope ies [37]. The honey
e ec i ely inhibi ed he g ow h o bac e ia such as S aphylococcus au eus, Esche ichia coli, and Pseudomonas ae uginosa.
Simila ly, Onyeke e al., also demons a ed ha honey om Benue p omo ed wound healing by educing in lamma ion,
enhancing collagen deposi ion, and s imula ing angiogenesis [38]. Based on he e idences so a , i is sa e o asse ha
honey indeed has a huge po en ial in medicine and public heal h in gene al.
In his s udy, we aim o de e mine he an ibac e ial e ec o honey agains bac e ial isola es om wounds o pa ien s a
Na ional O hopaedic Hospi al, Enugu, Nige ia. Speci ically, we seek o iden i y bac e ial isola es om in ec ed wounds
among pa ien s seen a he hospi al, assess he an imic obial e ec s o honey as a po en ial an ibac e ial agen agains
hese isola es, and e alua e he an ibac e ial ac i i ies o wo di e en species o honey agains he bac e ial isola es. By
achie ing hese objec i es, his s udy will p o ide scien i ic e idence o suppo he use o honey in wound managemen ,
pa icula ly in esou ce-limi ed se ings whe e access o con en ional wound ca e ea men s may be limi ed. The
indings o his s udy will con ibu e o he g owing body o knowledge on he he apeu ic p ope ies o honey and ha e
implica ions o he de elopmen o new wound ca e s a egies o pa ien s. Fu he mo e, he s udy may in o m he
de elopmen o guidelines o he use o honey in wound managemen , pa icula ly in hospi als and clinics in Enugu
and o he egions o Nige ia.
2. Ma e ials and me hods
2.1. S udy A ea
This c oss-sec ional s udy was ca ied ou om pa ien s o Na ional O hopaedic hospi al, Enugu S a e, Nige ia. The
samples we e collec ed om 4 di e en wa ds namely; Male wa d, Female wa d, Child en wa d and Ou wa d Pa ien
Depa men as shown below. The samples we e collec ed om in ec ed wounds in pa ien s om each wa d.
Table 1 Dis ibu ion o wound samples collec ed acco ding o wa ds in Na ional O hopaedic Hospi al Enugu, Nige ia
Wa ds
Numbe o samples collec ed
Child en wa d
6
Female wa d
5
Male wa d
19
Ou wa d pa ien depa men
70
2.2. E hical Conside a ion and In o med Consen
E hical app o al was ob ained om he Na ional O hopaedic Hospi al Enugu, Nige ia (18/07/2023). W i en in o med
consen o willingness o pa icipa e in he s udy was ob ained om all pa icipan s included in he s udy. All e hical
issues in ol ing he Iden i y, compensa ion and managemen o he subjec s we e ollowed acco ding o he app o ed
guidelines o e hical conduc .
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2.3. S udy Popula ion g oup, Selec ion C i e ia and Expe imen al Design
The s udy popula ion o he esea ch on he “An ibac e ial ac i i y o honey on bac e ial isola es om wounds”
consis ed o indi iduals wi h bac e ial wound in ec ions, including pa ien s om Na ional O hopedic Hospi al, Enugu,
Nige ia, wi h a ious ypes o wounds such as bu ns, su gical wounds, and ch onic ulce s. Age, gende , and ace we e
conside ed o ensu e a di e se sample popula ion, and a o al o 20 pa ien s su e ing om wounds we e selec ed. The
s udy adop ed a popula ion o 100 pa ien s, and all subjec s we e included due o he ela i ely small popula ion size.
Pa icipa ion c i e ia equi ed ha subjec s ha e wounds such as bu ns, su gical wounds, o ch onic ulce s and ha
hey eely consen o pa icipa e in he s udy. The es g oup consis ed o pa ien s mee ing hese c i e ia, including bo h
male and emale pa icipan s, while he con ol g oup comp ised appa en ly heal hy indi iduals wi h no eco d o
mala ia a he ime o he esea ch.
Con enience sampling was used, wi h wound swabs collec ed om pa icipan s a Na ional O hopaedic Hospi al,
Enugu, Nige ia, o isola e and iden i y bac e ial s ains using s anda d bac e iological me hods. The honey samples
collec ed om Oba, Nsukka, and Benue we e hen applied o he bac e ial cul u es o assess hei an ibac e ial
e ec i eness. Da a collec ion in ol ed ob aining wound isola es using he Le ine me hod, and app oxima ely 100 s e ile
swab s icks we e used o collec samples asep ically om in ec ed wounds ac oss di e en wa ds on Tuesdays and
F idays o a oid duplica ion. The ins umen s used in he s udy included aga pla es, bac e ial isola es, honey, s e ile
o ceps, an incuba o , calib a ed mic opipe es and s e ile pipe es, Muelle Hin on aga , s e ile dis illed wa e ,
an ibio ic disks, a spec opho ome e , a mic oscope, s e ilized es ubes, s e ilized co on swabs, a zone o inhibi ion
measu emen scale, an au ocla e, and a Bunsen bu ne , among o he s.
2.4. Labo a o y in es iga ions
2.4.1. Bac e iological Analysis and Cul u e Techniques
Acco ding o Collins and Lyne (2004), he media used o his analysis included Nu ien aga (Ba ek) MacConkey b o h
(Oxoid), Ci a e aga , Me hyl Red- Vogues P oskaue (MR-VP) b o h.
All media we e p epa ed acco ding o he manu ac u e ’s ins uc ions and adequa ely s e ilized in au ocla e a 121oC
o 15 minu es and we e d ied e y well be o e used.
This is based on he abili y o bac e ial o ganisms o g ow on Nu ien aga as a uni e sal medium o bac e ial
iden i ica ion, also, use o MacConkey aga o g ow and iden i y lac ose e men e bac e ial o ganisms due i s indica o -
b omoc esol pu ple and p oduc ion o acid and gas.
2.4.2. Cul u e and Mac oscopy
F eshly p epa ed nu ien aga (Ba ek) and ma king aga (Oxoid) we e d ied and incuba ed wi h canis e ja . Me hods
o labo a o y s udy we e in acco dance wi h Cheesb ough (2006). On comple ion o 24 hou s incuba ion pe iod, he
nu ien aga pla e and MacConkey aga pla e we e examined and g ow h obse ed we e ead mac oscopically.
Iden i ica ion o isola es we e ca ied ou using he me hods o Cheesb ough (2006).
2.4.3. G am S aining Me hod and Biochemical es s
The G am s aining echnique was used o di e en ia e be ween G am-posi i e and G am-nega i e bac e ia isola ed om
all samples collec ed. G am-posi i e bac e ia appea pu ple, while G am-nega i e bac e ia appea ed. Mo phological
and biochemical cha ac e is ics o he bac e ial isola es we e used o he iden i ica ion o isola es acco ding o
Cheesb ough (2019).
• Indole Tes : Used o de ec he p oduc ion o indole om yp ophan. Tes o ganisms we e inocula ed in
pep one wa e and incuba ed a 37°C o 48 hou s. Ko ac’s eagen was added, and a ed colo a he su ace
indica ed a posi i e esul .
• Ci a e U iliza ion Tes : Assessed he abili y o bac e ia o u ilize ci a e as a ca bon sou ce. O ganisms we e
s eaked on Simmons ci a e aga and incuba ed a 37°C o 48 hou s. A blue colo indica ed a posi i e es .
• Me hyl Red Tes : Di e en ia ed bac e ia based on acid p oduc ion om glucose e men a ion. O ganisms we e
incuba ed in MR b o h a 37°C o 48 hou s, ollowed by addi ion o me hyl ed indica o . Red colo indica ed a
posi i e esul .
• Voges-P oskaue Tes : De e mined he p oduc ion o ace oin by bac e ia. O ganisms we e incuba ed in VP
b o h a 37°C o 48 hou s. Addi ion o Ba i ’s eagen s p oduced a pink- ed colo o posi i e esul s.
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• Ca alase Tes : Iden i ied bac e ia p oducing ca alase. Colonies we e mixed wi h hyd ogen pe oxide on a slide.
Bubble o ma ion indica ed a posi i e esul .
• Coagulase Tes : Di e en ia ed S aphylococcus au eus om o he S aphylococcus species. Bac e ial suspension
was mixed wi h plasma; immedia e clumping indica ed a posi i e esul .
2.4.4. P epa a ion o Di e en Concen a ion o Honey
Honey samples we e ob ained om Oba, Nsukka, Enugu, and Benue. The samples we e cha ac e ized based on hei
geog aphical o igin and physical p ope ies, including colo , consis ency, and pH. The honey was sie ed h ough s e ile
gauze o emo e deb is. Se ial dilu ions we e p epa ed using dis illed wa e as he diluen o ob ain i e concen a ions:
100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%, and 6.25%. To p epa e he dilu ions: 1 mL o 100% honey was mixed wi h 1 mL o dis illed
wa e o ob ain 50% honey. Simila ly, 1 mL o 50% honey was mixed wi h 1 mL o dis illed wa e o p oduce 25% honey;
1 mL o 25% honey was mixed wi h 1 mL o dis illed wa e o p oduce 12.5% honey; and 1 mL o 12.5% honey was
mixed wi h 1 mL o dis illed wa e o ob ain 6.25% honey.
2.4.5. Aga Well Di usion Assay and Measu emen o Zone o Inhibi ion
The an ibac e ial ac i i y o he honey ex ac s was e alua ed using he aga well di usion me hod. S e ile pla es
con aining eshly p epa ed Muelle -Hin on aga we e inocula ed wi h bac e ial isola es om wounds using s e ile
swab s icks. Fi e wells, each 6 mm in diame e , we e bo ed in o he aga using a s e ile co k bo e . The wells we e hen
illed wi h he p e iously p epa ed honey concen a ions and labeled as ollows: Well 1 – 100% honey, well 2 – 50%
honey, well 3 – 25% honey, well 4 – 12.5% honey, and Well 5 – 6.25% honey. The pla es we e allowed o s and o 7
hou s o pe mi p e-incuba ion di usion o he honey be o e being incuba ed a 37°C o 24 hou s. A e incuba ion, he
pla es we e examined o zones o inhibi ion a ound he wells, indica ing an ibac e ial ac i i y. The diame e s o he
zones o inhibi ion we e measu ed in wo dimensions (ho izon al and e ical), and he a e age alue was eco ded in
millime e s.
2.5. S a is ical Analysis
Da a ob ained om his s udy we e analyzed using he S a is ical Package o Social Sciences (SPSS) e sion 22. Da a
we e p esen ed as means and s anda d de ia ions. S uden 's - es was used o calcula e di e ences be ween he means.
Analysis o Va iance (ANOVA) was used o es ima e di e ences be ween g oup means, while es ima ion o ela ionship
be ween pa ame e s was ca ied ou using Pea son's co ela ion analysis. All hypo heses’ es s we e pe o med using
wo- ailed es and p- alue <0.05 conside ed s a is ically signi ican .
3. Resul s
The able below p esen s he gene al dis ibu ion o bac e ia isola ed om wounds in Na ional O hopaedic hospi al,
Enugu. A o al o 128 bac e ia we e isola ed, wi h Pseudomonas ae uginosa ha ing he highes occu ence, wi h a
equency o 58 (45.3%), ollowed by P o eus ulga is and En e obac e spp and Esche ichia coli wi h equencies o 12
and 11 espec i ely. When compa ed ac oss he di e en wound sou ces, he e was a s a is ically signi ican di e ence
in he bac e ia isola es acco ding o wound sou ces (p < 0.05). p = 0.113. (As shown in ig 3).
GSC Biological and Pha maceu ical Sciences, 2025, 33(01), 164-182
170
Figu e 3 Gene al dis ibu ion o bac e ia isola ed om wounds
Table 2 Pe cen age dis ibu ion o numbe o bac e ia isola ed om di e en wound ypes in na ional o hopaedic
hospi al, Enugu
Bac e ia
To al
Pe cen age
Pseudomonas ae uginosa
58
45.3%
En e obac e spp
12
9.4%
P o eus ulga is
12
9.4%
Esche ichia coli
11
8.6%
P o eus mi abilis
6
4.7%
S aphylococcus au eus
6
4.7%
Fla obac e ium spp
5
3.9%
Mo ganella mo ganii
5
3.9%
Ci obac e spp
4
3.1%
Acine obac e spp
2
1.6%
Klebsiella spp
2
1.6%
Ac inomyce es spp
1
0.8%
En e ococcus spp
1
0.8%
Mic ococus spp
1
0.8%
Salmonella spp
1
0.8%
Se a ia ubidae
1
0.8%
128
100.0%
The able below, p esen s he o al numbe o bac e ia isola ed acco ding o wound ypes in Na ional O hopaedic
hospi al, Enugu. 128 bac e ia we e isola ed om 10 di e en wound sou ces, wi h acciden wounds ha ing he highes
occu ence, wi h a equency o 35 (27.3%), ollowed by bu ns and enous ulce s wi h equencies o 26 (20.3%) and
20 (15.6%) espec i ely. When compa ed ac oss he di e en bac e ia isola es, he e was s a is ically signi ican
di e ence in he o he o al numbe o isola es acco ding o wound sou ces (p > 0.05). p = 0.80. (As shown in ig 4)
GSC Biological and Pha maceu ical Sciences, 2025, 33(01), 164-182
171
Table 3 Pe cen age dis ibu ion o numbe o bac e ia isola ed om di e en wound ypes in na ional o hopaedic hospi al, Enugu
Bac e ia
Acciden
Bu ns
Venous Ulce
T auma
G a Ulce
Su gical
Ampu a ion
Rec al Ulce
Os eomyeli is
S ab
To al
Pseudomonas ae uginosa
15
12
8
10
4
5
1
2
1
0
58
En e obac e spp
5
3
3
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
12
P o eus ulga is
5
1
1
0
2
2
1
0
0
0
12
Esche ichia coli
4
3
0
3
0
0
0
0
1
0
11
P o eus mi abilis
3
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
S aphylococcus au eus
0
1
3
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
6
Fla obac e ium spp
1
0
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
5
Mo ganella mo ganii
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
5
Ci obac e spp
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
Acine obac e spp
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
Klebsiella spp
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
Ac inomyce es spp
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
En e ococcus spp
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
Mic ococus spp
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Salmonella spp
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Se a ia ubidae
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
35
(27.3%)
26
(20.3%)
20
(15.6%)
18
(14.1%)
11
(8.6%)
9
(7.0%)
3
(2.3%)
2
(1.6%)
2
(1.6%)
2
(1.6%)
128
GSC Biological and Pha maceu ical Sciences, 2025, 33(01), 164-182
172
Figu e 4 Gene al dis ibu ion o bac e ia acco ding o wound ype
The able below highligh s he zone o inhibi ion o each bac e ium agains he di e en concen a ions o honey go en
om Oba. When compa ed ac oss di e en concen a ions, he e was a s a is ically signi ican di e ence ac oss he
di e en concen a ions o oba honey o each bac e ia isola e (p < 0.05). p = 0.104. (As shown in ig 5)
Figu e 5 Zone o inhibi ion o each bac e ia isola e ea ed wi h honey om ОВА
GSC Biological and Pha maceu ical Sciences, 2025, 33(01), 164-182
179
we e eco e ed om wounds, wi h Pseudomonas ae uginosa being he mos p e alen (58 isola es, 45.3%), ollowed by
P o eus ulga is (12 isola es), En e obac e spp. (12 isola es), and Esche ichia coli (11 isola es). Honey demons a ed
an ibac e ial ac i i y agains hese pa hogens, in ag eemen wi h s udies by Kwakman and Zaa [41] and Mandal and
Mandal [20], who highligh ed honey’s e icacy agains wound isola es. Clinical ials u he suppo his ole; honey has
been shown o educe wound size and bac e ial load in diabe ic oo ulce s [42], ea in ec ed wounds in pedia ic
pa ien s [43], and accele a e healing o ch onic wounds such as bedso es and enous ulce s [44].
The mechanisms o ac ion o honey in wound healing a e mul i ac o ial. Honey inhibi s a wide ange o bac e ia,
including esis an s ains such as MRSA [45], s imula es immune esponses by enhancing cy okine and g ow h ac o
p oduc ion [24], educes in lamma ion, p omo es angiogenesis, and inc eases collagen deposi ion [22]. These combined
e ec s explain i s abili y o bo h con ol in ec ion and p omo e issue epai . When compa ing he an imic obial e icacy
o Oba Nsukka honey wi h ha o Benue honey, his s udy ound Oba honey o be signi ican ly mo e e ec i e agains
wound isola es. The di e ence may be linked o a ia ions in honey sou cing: Nsukka honey is ob ained om he co e
o he comb, while Benue honey is collec ed om comb d ople s [34]. This obse a ion u he suppo s he claim ha
honey’s an ibac e ial po ency depends on i s ype, geog aphical o igin, clima ic condi ions, and p ocessing [24, 41].
Simila ly, Olawuyi e al., [46] epo ed ha honey samples om di e en Nige ian ag o-ecological zones a ied in
an imic obial ac i i y due o geog aphical and clima ic in luences. A epo by Ajobiewe e al., [47] who accessed he
e ec on honey om h ee di e en egions in Nige ia u he showed ha honey p o es o e y e ec i e agains
wounds bu wi h no s a is ical mean di e ence among he h ee a ian s o honey ob ained. In ou s udy, s a is ical
analysis shows a s a is ically signi ican di e ence om he di e en honey ob ained and u he con i med he
supe io i y o Oba Nsukka honey. S a is ically signi ican di e ences we e obse ed in Oba Nsukka honey, e ealing i s
high e icacy and e ec i eness compa ed o Benue honey ac oss a ious wound isola es (p < 0.05). This inding is
consis en wi h he epo o Ogundele e al.,[36] who emphasized he he apeu ic alue o Oba Nsukka honey in wound
managemen .
5. Conclusion
This s udy in es iga ing he an ibac e ial ac i i y o honey on bac e ial isola es om wounds highligh s i s signi ican
po en ial as a na u al he apeu ic agen o wound ca e. The indings showed ha Pseudomonas ae uginosa was he
mos equen ly isola ed o ganism, likely due o a local ou b eak in he s udy a ea. A o al o 18 signi ican bac e ial
isola es we e iden i ied, all o which we e sensi i e o bo h a ie ies o honey a 100% concen a ion. No ably, Oba
Nsukka honey p oduced la ge zones o inhibi ion ac oss all concen a ions compa ed o Benue honey, demons a ing
g ea e an ibac e ial e icacy.
These esul s a e consis en wi h p e ious s udies ha con i med honey’s b oad-spec um an ibac e ial ac i i y and i s
e ec i eness in wound healing. I s he apeu ic e ec s a e a ibu ed o mul iple ac o s, including i s an ibac e ial, an i-
in lamma o y, an ioxidan , and immunomodula o y p ope ies. Honey has p o en pa icula ly e ec i e in ea ing
in ec ed and ch onic wounds, wi h clinical s udies demons a ing i s abili y o educe bac e ial load, p omo e issue
epai , and suppo healing.
Based on hese indings, p io o he use o honey as an al e na i e emedy, clinicians and heal hca e p o ide s a e
ad ised o consul wi h he medical labo a o y o in o m op imal applica ion o honey in wound ca e, while egula o y
agencies should ensu e he a ailabili y o pu e, undilu ed honey o clinical use. Honey ep esen s a na u al, cos -
e ec i e, and sa e complemen a y he apy o s anda d wound ca e p ac ices, wa an ing u he esea ch in o i s
mechanisms o ac ion and b oade clinical applica ions.
Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds
Acknowledgmen s
We wish o hank e e yone and he en i e managemen and medical pe sonnel o he Na ional O hopaedic Hospi al,
Enugu S a e, who played signi ican oles in he success o his esea ch wo k.
Disclosu e o con lic o in e es
We decla e no con lic o in e es .
GSC Biological and Pha maceu ical Sciences, 2025, 33(01), 164-182
180
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