ROLE OF HONEY AS AN ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT

Abstract

Background: A natural substance produced by honey bees called honey, has been used for hundreds of years for its medicinal, therapeutic and nutritional properties. The use of honey extends back to early cultures, with evidence of its application in traditional medicine wound healing and food preservation. The antimicrobial properties thoroughly researched along with its composition including low water content, high sugar content, acidity, pH, hydrogen- peroxide and non-peroxide compounds. Objective: This review provide an overview of the potential benefits and applications of honey as antimicrobial agent, bringing attention to its potential as an natural, effective and resilient solution for various health related issue.  Methods: The comprehensive review of existing literature on honey as an antimicrobial agent was conducted studies published up to 2020 were retrieved from Google Scholar. For this review many articles were studied based on honey’s composition, antimicrobial and therapeutic properties. Conclusion: Honey is a versatile natural substance with wide range of therapeutic properties such as antimicrobial, antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer activities. Its unique composition includes low water content and hydrogen peroxide which adds to its antimicrobial activity all was discussed in this review.