Manuka Honey: A Tissue Engineering Essential Ingredient

A renewed interest in medical-grade honey is revitalizing the clinical and biomedical engineering communities. The primary driving force for this revitalization has been the goal of developing non-antibiotic alternatives and effective new ways to prevent and fight bacterial infections. This application of honey is not unexpected or new since the use of medicinal honey simply fell out of fashion when antibiotics revolutionized medicine over one hundred years ago. Prior to antibiotics, and dating back as far as 600 B.C., honey had been extensively used in the treatment of infections and burns [1]. More importantly, the broad antimicrobial spectrum of honey makes it a great and powerful alternative to antibiotics when dealing with wound infections. However, care must be used in selection because the antimicrobial spectrum of the honey is very much dependent on the type (source of nectar) of honey used [2]. For this reason, a specific honey, Manuka honey, appears to be leading the charge in transforming the medical industry due to its unique composition and derived functionality. Its functionality includes a broadband anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and enhanced wound healing capacity that may be the tissue engineering trifecta and deserves further consideration as an essential tissue engineering ingredient (i.e. incorporation into templates).