Physiochemical Parameters of Stored Honey Samples and Their Combined Effect with Antibiotics on Clinical Isolates

Aims: The objective of the study is to determine the effect of storage on the physicochemical parameters of honey samples and their combined effect with antibiotics on clinical isolates from wound swab.

Study Design: It is a retrospective study.

Place and Duration of Study: The microbiological aspect of study was carried out in the medical microbiology laboratory while the physicochemical parameters was carried out in plant science and biotechnology laboratory all of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria from 2014 to 2016.

Methodology: Three brands of honey sourced from Abia state (Sample A), Delta state (Sample B) and Enugu state (Sample C) of Nigeria screen for their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (sourced from different wound swabs) using Agar well diffusion method at various concentration ranging from 100%, 80% and 60%. The result indicated that each of their effects was concentration dependent as all the three honey samples exerted a full inhibition of bacterial growth at the highest concentration tested (100%). More so, the inhibitory effect was clearer with concentration of 80% than 60% and this was most evident in the case of sample C and Sample A as compared to sample B. Again, the single effect of the antibiotic: Rifampicin tested using Disc diffusion method recorded no sensitivity among all the E.coli and P.aeruginosa isolates and are thus rifampicin resistant. Synergistic testing of rifampicin and honey was done using the disc diffusion method. Though, considerable zones of inhibition were observed but when the combined effect of Rifampicin and Honey was evaluated with the single effect of honey, the former inhibitory values were virtually lower than the latter, thus indicating antagonism instead of synergism. These findings require further study to be done in order to spotlight the underlying mechanism of this antagonist interaction in respect to Nigeria and compare with other antibiotics.