Abstract :

    Abstract  The medical usage of honey has become popular as an alternative and complementary treatment in recent time. This study was aimed at determining the inhibitory effect of honey and propolis against various species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the disc diffusion and macro-dilution methods. The antioxidant activity was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. The tested honey showed antibacterial activity only against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. All bacteria tested showed less degree of susceptibility to propolis treatment; producing less than 15 mm zone of inhibition. The propolis exhibited different antibacterial activity compared to the honey, the propolis inhibited the growth of gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. cereus) while the honey inhibited S. saprophyticus and E. coli. In the DPPH scavenging assay, the scavenging activities of local honey and propolis ranged from 9.81 to 90.70% and from 25.33 to 73.47%, respectively, with IC50 values of 4.5 mg/mL and 7.5 µg/mL, respectively. Therefore, the locally available natural honey may be used as a rich source of antioxidant and as an effective antibacterial agent that may be used to combat bacterial infections due to susceptible organisms.