Invited Speaker

Bee Products as Anti-infective Agents
Laid Boukraa, Siti Amrah Sulaiman and Mokhtar Benhanifia
Malaysia

Honey and other bee products were subjected to laboratory and clinical investigations during the past few decades and the most remarkable discovery was their antibacterial activity. Honey has been used since ancient times for the treatment of some diseases and for the healing of wounds but its use as an anti-infective agent was superseded by modern dressings and antibiotic therapy. Honey, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom have a strong antibacterial activity. Even antibiotic-resistant strains such as epidemic strains of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycine resistant Enterococcus (VRE) have been found to be as sensitive to honey as the antibiotic-sensitive strains of the same species. Propolis has attracted increased interest in recent years due to its antimicrobial activity against a wide range of pathogenic micro-organisms. Given the exceptional biological properties attributed to it, royal jelly has considerable commercial appeal and is today utilised in many sectors, ranging from the pharmaceutical and food industries to the cosmetic and manufacturing sectors. Recent studies have shown that bee venom also exhibits antibacterial activity. Sensitivity of bacteria to bee products varies considerably within the product and the varieties of the same product. Botanical origin plays a major role in its antibacterial activity. The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens poses increasingly serious health concerns worldwide. Approximately 70% of bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics most commonly used to treat infections. This antibiotic resistance is driving up health care costs, increasing the severity of the disease, and the fatality of certain infections. This emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria has confounded the current use of anti-infective therapy, leading to the re-examination of earlier remedies such as honey, royal jelly, propolis and bee venom.