COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ANTIBACTERIAL POTENCY AND PROXIMATE CONTENTS OF FRESHLY HARVESTED AND LONG STORED HONEY

Comparative study of antibacteriological potency and proximate contents of freshly harvested and long stored honey was carried out using standard microbiological procedures. Wound sample was collected from General hospital, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. Fresh honey sample were obtained from local commercial producers. Swab samples were streaked onto molten nutrient medium, mannitol salt medium and eosin methylene blue medium plates and were incubated at 370C for 24 hours. The total bacterial colony count obtained from skin swab, wound swab and stool samples revealed 109 cfu/swab, 122 cfu/swab and 1.01x107 cfu/g respectively. The bacteria identified were Staphylococcus sp, Salmonella sp and Pseudomonas sp. The percentage occurrence of the bacterial isolates revealed Staphylococcus sp. (40.96%), Pseudomonas sp. (29.82%) and Salmonella sp. (29.22%). The antibacterial activity of different concentrations of honey against Staphylococcus, Salmonella and Pseudomonas spp. revealed that the freshly harvested honey was found to have a strong inhibitory effect against Pseudomonas sp. with zones of inhibition 16mm, 12mm and 11mm at the concentration of 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. The long stored honey and mixed honey had zones of inhibition 10mm, 8mm and 7mm at the concentration of 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. Staphylococcus sp. inhibited the freshly harvested honey with zones of inhibition 12mm, 10mm and 8mm at the concentration of 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. The long stored honey showed an inhibitory effect with zones of inhibition 11mm, 9mm and 7mm at the concentration of 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. The mixed honey had zones of inhibition 9mm, 9mm and 8mm at the concentration of 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. Salmonella sp. inhibited the freshly harvested honey with a zones of inhibition 10mm, 9mm and 7mm at the concentration of 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. The long stored honey had a zones of inhibition 8mm, 8mm and 7mm at the concentration of 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. The mixed honey had a zones of inhibition 9mm, 8mm and 7mm at the concentration of 100%, 80% and 40% respectively. The proximate composition of freshly harvested samples revealed moisture content (19.36±0.94), ash content (0.29±0.05), crude fat (0.68±0.04), crude protein (2.43±0.23), carbohydrate was (46.75±0.15), caloric value (417.44±0.06) while crude fibre was not detected. The long stored honey sample revealed moisture content (18.57±0.09), ash content (0.15±0.09), crude fat (0.30±0.07), crude protein (1.53±0.12), carbohydrate was (46.75±0.15), while crude fibre was not detected. These findings suggest that honey, whether freshly harvested or stored, could be an effective complementary treatment for bacterial infections.