Why manuka honey is different

Honey has a long tradition of use for wound healing. The presence of active ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide, polyphenols and other aromatic compounds is thought to be responsible for its healing properties.

But are all honeys the same? Honey from the manuka shrub (Leptospermum scoparium) in New Zealand may contain an additional antibacterial property known as the unique manuka factor (UMF). This is a phytochemical-derived substance from the nectar of the flower, rather than antimicrobial activity attributed to hydrogen peroxide, which results from the action of bee-derived glucose oxidase enzymes on water. The UMF varies between batches of honey and across seasons, and is tested after processing using a diffusion assay where the area of exclusion of bacterial growth that the honey causes relative to phenol is measured.

The antibacterial activity of the manuka honey is then related on a scale of 0 (low efficacy) to 20 and above (higher efficacy). In 2007 scientists in Dresden demonstrated a correlation between the UMF of manuka honeys and levels of methylgloxal, which is thought to account for most of manuka honey’s antibacterial activity.

In small human trials manuka honey has been shown to be effective in desloughing and eradicating meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from venous ulcers and as a potential treatment for gingivitis and periodontitis. Whether manuka honey is more effective than other honeys is not known because comparative clinical trials have not yet been conducted.