Honeybees produce standard honey, or raw honey, from a variety of nectar sources while Manuka honey is processed from the New Zealand Manuka bush, or Leptospermum scoparium. All raw, unprocessed honey has antibacterial properties due to hydrogen peroxide generation and an acidic pH, according to the New Zealand University of Waikato Honey Research Unit. Manuka honey has additional antimicrobial activity due in part to methylglyoxal, or MGO, found in the Manuka bush. Talk with your physician before you use honey in a home remedy.
Raw Honey
Unlike Manuka honey's MGO, a free radical phytochemical, the hydrogen peroxide-generating components in standard honey degrade and become ineffective when exposed to stomach fluids and heat, according to the University of Waikato. Standard honey needs oxygen to synthesize hydrogen peroxide, while MGO retains antibacterial activity in anaerobic environments.
MGO and Hydrogen Peroxide Research
Some standard honeys contain small amounts of MGO. A 2008 study reported in "Molecular Nutrition & Food Research" compared MGO content and bactericidal properties of different honeys. Six samples of Manuka honey showed MGO concentrations ranging from 38 to 761 mg per kg, up to 100 times higher than in standard honeys.
Honey Research
The "Molecular Nutrition & Food Research" study showed that MGO had higher bactericidal activity than two antibacterial components found in standard honey. MGO inhibited E. coli and S. aureus bacteria at concentrations of 1.1 mM, while one standard honey component inhibited E. coli and S. aureus at concentrations of 6.9 and 4.3 mM, respectively, and the other showed no inhibitive action against either bacteria.
Manuka Honey Medicinal Use
Laboratory studies suggest that Manuka honey may have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Manuka honey is primarily used for the topical treatment of wounds and burns. The mechanism behind Manuka honey's bactericidal activity is unclear and is attributed to one or more compounds other than MGO. Studies suggest a second component in Manuka honey may act as a synergist to increase MGO's antimicrobial potency, according to the University of Waikato.
References
- "Molecular Nutrition & Food Research"; Identification and Quantification of Methylglyoxal ... ; E. Mavric, et al.; April 2008
- University of Waikato Honey Research Unit: What's so Special About Active Manuka Honey?
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Manuka Honey
- University of Waikato; Rating the Antibacterial Activity of Manuka Honey; Peter Molan
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