PP 16 - Evaluation of microbiological properties of bee honey found in Sri Lanka among microbial species isolated from non-healing woundsnon-healing wounds

Ramasundara CM, Wickramasinghe A , Sewwandi H , Udayanga S , Wimalaweera R  , Department of Microbiology, District General Hospital, Nuwara Eliya

Abstract

Introduction

Wound infection costs significantly. Antimicrobial resistance has increased rapidly. Therefore, it is important to find rational alternatives to use safely to manage wound infections. Honey has been traditionally used in the treatment of wound infections.

Objectives

To evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of bee honey found in Sri Lanka against microbial species isolated from non-healing wounds.

Design, setting, methods

This is a prospective experimental study. Sixty patients admitted to District General Hospital, Nuwara Eliya from 06/09/2023 to 06/12/2023 with non-healing wounds, diagnosed as infected by treating clinicians were selected after informed written consent. Clinical isolates were obtained from deep pus/tissue samples sent for routine culture from those patients.

Seventy raw bee honey samples were collected from different provinces of Sri Lanka to obtain geographical diversity, avoiding duplicate samples from the same source. Bee honey was tested with control strains and clinical isolates for susceptibility testing with neat and 1:1 dilution using disk diffusion method based on previous literature. Susceptibility testing was done in triplicate and got the mean value of the zone diameters as the final reading.