{"id":458231,"date":"2026-03-05T03:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T03:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/458231\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T03:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T03:41:16","slug":"honey-from-australian-wildflowers-has-potent-power-to-kill-bacteria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/458231\/","title":{"rendered":"Honey from Australian wildflowers has potent power to kill bacteria"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before antibiotics and antiseptics, healers across ancient Egypt, Greece, and China reached for honey to treat wounds. Archaeological evidence<\/a> shows humans have been harvesting and collecting honey for thousands of years \u2013 and for much of that time, we understood it to be more than just food.<\/p>\n

Today, honey sits in most kitchen cupboards as a perfectly ordinary pantry staple. But honey has never entirely shed its medicinal reputation. And modern research shows us why: it possesses genuine antimicrobial properties, capable of killing or inhibiting a wide range of bacteria<\/a>, including drug-resistant strains.<\/p>\n

This matters now more than ever. Antimicrobial resistance \u2013 where bacteria evolve to survive drugs designed to kill them \u2013 is one of the defining public health crises of our time<\/a>. Infections caused by these resistant microbes are becoming harder and more expensive to treat, creating an urgent need for alternative therapies.<\/p>\n

Our new study, published in the journal MicrobiologyOpen<\/a>, shows honeys from Australia\u2019s native flora might be a big part of the solution. <\/p>\n

What did we do?<\/p>\n

We analysed 56 honey samples collected from more than 35 apiaries across New South Wales. Many samples came from landscapes recovering from the 2019\u20132020 bushfires. Most were derived from native Australian plants such as eucalyptus, leptospermum and melaleuca. <\/p>\n

We tested the honeys against two common bacterial pathogens: Staphylococcus aureus (golden staph) and E. coli \u2013 both among the six leading causes of deaths associated with antibiotic resistance<\/a>. For each sample we measured the minimum concentration needed to stop bacterial growth. The lower the concentration, the more potent the honey.<\/p>\n

We also carried out comprehensive chemical profiling, measuring sugars, organic acids, amino acids, enzymes and a wide range of plant-derived compounds. Statistical and machine-learning analyses helped us identify which chemical features best explained antibacterial strength.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Researchers analysed 56 honey samples collected from more than 35 apiaries across New South Wales.
\n Tocal College Bee Research and Training Centre<\/p>\n

What did we find?<\/p>\n

More than three-quarters of the honey samples stopped bacterial growth even when the honeys were diluted to 10% or less. This places Australian native flora honeys alongside some of the world\u2019s most potent varieties.<\/p>\n

The most striking factor was floral diversity. <\/p>\n

Honeys from mixed floral sources \u2013 where bees foraged across multiple native plant species rather than a single species \u2013 were consistently the most antimicrobial. <\/p>\n

This potency wasn\u2019t due to any single compound but to a chemically rich combination. <\/p>\n

Multiple bioactive factors \u2013 substances that have a measurable effect on living cells or tissues \u2013 worked together to inhibit bacteria. These included naturally produced hydrogen peroxide, plant-derived phenolic compounds (naturally occurring chemicals that plants produce as part of their own defence systems), and antioxidants.<\/p>\n

When bacteria encounter honey, this combination acts on several fronts at once. The low moisture content draws water out of bacterial cells, while the acidity disrupts their metabolism. Hydrogen peroxide damages their cellular structures, and phenolic and antioxidant compounds interfere with their ability to function and reproduce. <\/p>\n

The strength of mixed floral honeys may also reflect the health of the bees themselves. <\/p>\n

Access to diverse forage keeps colonies well nourished. And healthier bees produce more biologically active honey as their enzymes help integrate and activate the plant compounds into a complex antimicrobial mixture.<\/p>\n

\"Six<\/a><\/p>\n

More than three-quarters of the honey samples stopped bacterial growth even when the honeys were diluted to 10% or less.
\n University of Sydney<\/p>\n

What does this mean for antimicrobial resistance?<\/p>\n

Honey won\u2019t replace antibiotics for serious or systemic infections. <\/p>\n

But for topical applications \u2013 chronic wounds, burns, or surgical site infections \u2013 it is a genuinely promising option. Because honey attacks bacteria through multiple simultaneous mechanisms, resistance is far less likely to emerge than with single-target drugs. Our team is now exploring these applications in more detail.<\/p>\n

Australia is particularly well-placed to lead in bioactive honey production. Around 70% of Australian honey comes from native plants<\/a>. These plants are found not only in forests but also across farmland, regional landscapes, and urban green spaces.<\/p>\n

Our findings show that prioritising floral diversity over monoculture isn\u2019t just good for ecosystems \u2013 it produces more potent honey. With the beekeeping industry under serious pressure from bushfires, floods, and now the varroa mite<\/a>, protecting and restoring florally-rich landscapes is critical: for bee health, for industry resilience, and for expanding our natural antimicrobial toolkit.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the next jar of Australian honey you buy may just be doing more good than you realise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Before antibiotics and antiseptics, healers across ancient Egypt, Greece, and China reached for honey to treat wounds. Archaeological…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":458232,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[102,6591,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-458231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-health","tag-medication","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=458231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/458232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=458231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=458231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=458231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}