The recent increase in bacterial resistance and decrease in antimicrobial products in development has resulted in greater interest in honey as an antimicrobial solution. Manuka honey has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and effectively reduces bioburden. Its antimicrobial action with no known resistance, no cytotoxicity, promotion of autolytic debridement and odour neutralisation make it a useful treatment in wound care. This article describes how Manuka honey works, and provides an overview of the evidence and benefits in practice.
