Cooper, R.A., Gray, D. (2005) The control of wound malodour with honey-based wound dressings and ointments.  Wounds UK 1(3): Suppl 1: 26-31

Cooper, R.A., Halas, E., Molan, P.C. (2002).  The efficacy of honey in inhibiting strains of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa from infected burns.  The Journal of Burn Care & Rehabilitation 23 (6) : 366-370.

Cooper R, Jones K, Morris K (2005) Immunomodulatory properties of honey that may be relevant to wound repair.  Chapter 10 in Honey: a modern wound management product White R, Cooper R, Molan P. Ed. ISBN 0-9549193-0-0 Wounds UK, Aberdeen.

Cooper, R. and Molan, P. (1999) The use of honey as an antiseptic in managing Pseudomonas infection. Journal of Wound Care, 8(4), 161-164.

                The sensitivity of pure cultures of Pseudomonas species, isolated from swabs from 20 infected wounds, to a pasture honey and a manuka honey was studied. The honeys were selected to have antibacterial activity close to the median for each type. Range of minimum inhibitory concentration (v/v) was 5.5-8.7 % (mean 6.9%) for the manuka honey and 5.8-9.0% (mean 7.1%) for the pasture honey. It is concluded that honeys with an average level of antibacterial activity could be expected to be effective in preventing the growth of pseudomonads on the surface of a wound, even if the honey were diluted more than 10-fold by exudation from the wound. Accession date: 8 September 1999. Call number: 638.167. Library code: Bc. Language: En. P Walker. Author address: School of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of Wales Inst., Llandaff Campus, Western Ave, Cardiff CF5 2YB, UK. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: AA904/99

honey/antibacterial properties/Pseudomonas/uses/wound dressings/medicinal properties/manuka honey.

Cooper, R. A., Molan, P. C. and Harding, K. G. (1999) Antibacterial activity of honey against strains of Staphylococcus aureus from infected wounds. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 92(June), 283-285.

                Strains of coagulase-positive S. aureus were isolated from infected wounds; the sensitivity of 58 strains to a multifloral honey and a manuka honey was tested. Sensitivity varied little between the isolates; minimum inhibitory honey concentrations were 2-3% (v/v) for the manuka honey and 3-4% for the other honey. Thus, these honeys would prevent growth of S. aureus if diluted by body fluids a further 7- to 14-fold beyond the point where their osmolarity ceased to be completely inhibitory. The effect of the manuka honey is partly due to the presence of a phytochemical compound, so it would probably be more effective in vivo. Accession date: 21 Sept 1999. Call number: 638.167. Library code: Bc. Language: En. Author. Author address: School of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of Wales Inst., Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff CF5 2YB, UK. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: AA903/99

honey, antibacterial properties/Leptospermum honey/Staphylococcus, inhibition by honey.

Cooper, R. A., Molan, P. C. and Harding, K. G. (2002) The sensitivity to honey of Gram-positive cocci of clinical significance isolated from wounds. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 93, 857-863.

                Eighteen strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were isolated from infected wounds, and 7 and 20 strains of vancomycin-resistant enterococci from infected wounds and hospital surfaces, respectively. For all these strains, MIC values against manuka honey and pasture honey were about 3% (v/v), but against artificial honey they were about 30%. No marked differences were found between the strains. Accession date: 10 February 2003. Call number: 638.16. Library code: Bc. Language: En. P Walker. Author address: Center for Biomedical Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, Univ. of Wales Inst. Cardiff, Llandaff Campus, Cardiff, UK. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: AA508/03

honey/antibacterial properties/Staphylococcus/enterococci/Leptospermum honey/MRSA.

Cooper, R. A., Molan, P. C., Krishnamoorthy, L. and Harding, K. G. (2001) Manuka honey used to heal a recalcitrant surgical wound. European Journal Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis., 20, 758-759. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s100960100590

                A wound resulting from surgical treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa failed to heal during 3 years of conventional treatment. Within 7 days of the application of dressings impregnated with irradiated manuka honey, the patient's recurrent staphylococcal infections ceased, and healing was achieved within 4 months. Accession date: 19 February 2002. Call number: 638.167. Library code: Bc. Language: En. Author. Author address: Centre for Biomedical Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, Univ. of Wales Institute Cardiff, Llandaff Campus, Western Ave, Cardiff CF5 2YB, UK. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: AA850/02

medicinal properties/honey/wound treatment/human health.

Cooper R A, Wheat E-J, Burton N F (2008) An investigation into the wound healing potential of Welsh honeys Journal of Apicultural Research 47 (4): 251-255 doi: 10.3896/IBRA.1.47.4.03 

         Honey is an ancient wound remedy that has gained acceptance in modern medicine with the development of modern wound care products. Its therapeutic attributes are thought to be related to its antimicrobial activity as well as its ability to stimulate rapid healing, yet it is not known whether these properties are correlated. Using 139 local Welsh honeys collected by amateur beekeepers and one manuka honey, we determined physical and chemical characteristics to establish authenticity. Antibacterial activity was estimated using an agar well diffusion bioassay and wound healing potential was estimated by quantifying the release of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) from monocytic cells exposed to honey. The manuka honey had total and non-peroxide activity equivalent to 18.5 % (w/v) phenol; 71 of the Welsh samples possessed total activity, with 6.9 % (w/v) the highest phenol equivalent, and none possessed non-peroxide activity. The mean TNF-α response following exposure of a monocytic cell line (Monomac 6) to manuka honey was 320 pg/ml ± 39.9 (SEM) and for the Welsh honeys it was 547.5 pg/ml ± 26.5 (SEM), ranging from 7.6 to 1437 pg/ml. Antibacterial activity and TNF-α response were not associated. Although the antiseptic potential of Welsh honeys was weak, their wound healing potential merits further investigation.

honey / antibacterial activity / healing/ wounds / tumour necrosis factor-alpha

Cooper, R.A., Wigley, P., & Burton, N.F (2000) Susceptibility of multiresistant strains of Burkholderia cepacia to honey.  Letters in Applied Microbiology, 31  20-24

Costa, C. C. d. and Pereira, R. G. (2002) The influence of propolis on the rheological behaviour of pure honey. Food Chemistry, 76(4), 417-421.

                Mixtures of honey different percentages of propolis were examined rheologically. Values were determined for frequency sweep, stress sweep and viscosity curves for the mixtures, using a HAAKE-RS50 rotating rheometer, with geometry cone-plate and double gap cylinder sensor system. The viscosity of 100% honey was considerably reduced by the addition of propolis extracts, and a pronounced viscoelastic behaviour was observed in the mixtures. Accession date: 4 December 2002. Call number: 638.16. Library code: 8 wf. Language: En. Author address: Fluminense Federal Univ., Mechanical Engineering Dept, Rua Passos da Pátria 156, Niterói, CEP: 24210-240, RJ, Brazil. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: AA235/03

honey/propolis/viscosity/elasticity/rheological properties.

Dunford, C., Cooper, R. and Molan, P. (2000) Using honey as a dressing for infected skin lesions. NT Plus, 96(14), 7-9.

                Conventional treatments of a patient's chronic infected lesions caused by meningococcal septicaemia were unsuccessful. The lesions were therefore dressed with pads impregnated with manuka honey which were changed every 3 d. After 10 weeks all lesions, and a pressure ulcer, had healed completely. Accession date: 4 May 2000. Call number: 638.167. Library code: Bc. Language: En. P Walker. Author address: Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire, UK. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: AA291/00

honey/wound dressings/ulcers/septicaemia

Dunford, C., Cooper, R., Molan, P. and White, R. (2000) The use of honey in wound management. Nursing Standard, 15(11), 63-68.

                Includes 2 case studies. Accession date: 12 June 2001. Call number: 638.167. Library code: Bc. Language: En. Author address: Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire, UK. Apicultural Abstracts from IBRA: AA1206/01

honey/medical uses/antibacterial properties/wound treatment.