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The science behind DermelVet™ Medical Grade Mānuka
Mānuka offers a complex supportive environment for wound healing which has been extensively reported in literature. The most characteristic role of Mānuka honey is the prevention and limitation of microbial infection, which reduces the bioburden of the wound.
Medical Grade Mānuka
New Zealand Mānuka honey is produced by bees collecting nectar from the Mānuka Tree (Leptospermum scoparium) which can be found growing throughout New Zealand.
Bees produce Mānuka honey in varying grades. It is important to understand these grades and the level of methylglyoxal (MGO) because Mānuka honey’s increased antimicrobial activity on a range of microorganisms is attributed to the presence and level of MGO. [1,2]
The Mānuka honey used for wound care in most products registered to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use is typically standardized to be equivalent to 12-16% phenol concentration. For this reason, the Mānuka honey used in DermelVet™ has been independently tested and selected, having a minimum MGO content of 550mg/ml, equivalent to 15-18% phenol concentration.
The guaranteed high quality and standardisation of Medical Grade Mānuka Honey used in DermelVet™ products ensures effectiveness in every dose.
Methylglyoxal (MGO) Activity Index
Quality Parameters
Resources
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The composition and biological activity of honey: Mānuka honey
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Clinical usage of honey as a wound dressing: an update
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The role of honey in the management of wounds
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Evidence supporting the use of honey as a wound dressing
Faster Wound Healing
As a topical salve, Mānuka honey provides a moist wound environment and a protective barrier that prevents biofilm formation and bacterial infections.
It is well documented in literature that Mānuka honey possesses antimicrobial, debriding, anti-inflammatory and cytokine modulating properties. [3-5]
The viscosity and hyperosmolarity of honey dehydrate the bacteria and prevents proliferation. [6] Also, due to the low pH of honey, it prevents colonisation and bacterial growth in the wound.
Safe Antimicrobial
The level of MGO within Mānuka honey is determined by the quality of the original nectar source and other environmental conditions. Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), collected from the flower nectar of the Mānuka is a precursor for the MGO. Through honey maturation, the DHA is converted non-enzymatically to MGO, resulting in its presence within Manuka honey. [7,8]
Literature reporting the minimum inhibitory concentration values of honey with standardized level of antibacterial activity has been comprehensively reviewed by Molan. [9,10]
In these studies, the honeys were selected to have antibacterial activity near the median level, equivalent to the standard reference antiseptic phenol at a concentration of 13% to 18% (weight/volume).
This work by Dr Peter Molan was carried forward by the scientific community and now human health is positively benefiting in surgical and over the counter wound dressings across the United States of America, the European Union and Australasia.
The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens that have acquired new resistance mechanisms, leading to antimicrobial resistance, continues to threaten our ability to treat common infections. Manuka honey offers an safe and effective topical broad spectrum solution.
References
[1] Nolan V, Harrison J, Wright J, Cox J. Clinical Significance of Manuka and Medical-Grade Honey for Antibiotic-Resistant Infection: A systematic Review, Antibiotics 2020, 9, 766; doi:10.3390/antibiotics9110766.
[2] Johnston, M.; Mcbride, M.; Dahiya D.; Owusu-apaten, R. Antibacterial activity of Manuka honey and its components: An overview. AIMS Microbiol. 2018, 4, 655-664.
[3] Cooper, R.A, P.C., Harding K.G. Antibacterial activity of honey against strains of Staphylococcus aureus from infected wounds, JR Soc Med 1999;926, 283-285.
[4] Cooper, R.A., Honey in Wound Care for 21st Century, J Wound Care 2016; 25:9, 544-522.
[5] Leong, A.G.,Herst, P.M., Harper, J.L., Indigenous New Zealand honey exhibits multiple anti-inflammatory activities. Innate immunology 2012, 18:3, 459-466.
[6] Yilmaz AC, Aygin D. Honey Dressing in Sound Treatment: A systematic review, Complementary Therapies in medicine 51 (2020)
[7] Grainger M, Manley-Harris M, Lane, JR; Field R. Kinetics of the conversion of hydroxyacetone to methylglyoxal in New Zealand Manuka honey: Part KK-Model systems. Food Chem. 2016, 202, 492-499.
[8] Adams CJ, Manley-Harris M, Molan PC. The origin of methylglyoxal in New Zealand manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honey. Carbohydr. Res 2009, 344, 1050-1053.
[9] Molan PC, Rhodes T. Honey: a biologic wound dressing. Wounds 2015;27(6):141-151.
[10] Molan PC. Honey: Antimicrobial actions and role in disease management. In: Ahmad I Aquil F. eds. New Strategies Combating Bacterial Infection. Wiley-VCH: Weinheim, Germany; 2009: 229-253.