Wound Healing Optimisation

Activon® Manuka Honey

Naturally anti-microbial with no known resistance

Activon® Manuka Honey is made from nectar gathered from Leptospermum plants (part of the tea-tree family) by bees in New Zealand. Activon® Manuka Honey has anti-microbial properties that aren’t found in honey from other sources. Activon® Manuka Honey is a broad spectrum anti-microbial effective against most wound invading bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and anti-biotic resistant MRSA and VRE. It has also been shown to prevent biofilm formation in MSSA, MRSA and VRE.1

The use of Activon® Manuka Honey may reduce the need for systemic anti-biotics.2


Unique Anti-microbial mode of Action of manuka honey

1. Methylglyoxal (MGO) and Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA) – Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a chemical compound present in 100-fold concentrations in Manuka honey compared to other honeys.3 It is a significant bactericidal component of Manuka honey.4 The level of MGO correlates to the level of anti-microbial activity and is measured as Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA). An NPA rating of 10 or more is considered suitable for medical use. Activon® Manuka Honey is guaranteed to have a minimum NPA of 10 and is usually higher.


2. Acidity – The high acidity and low pH of Activon® Manuka Honey make it unsuitable to support microbe growth as most of them prefer a neutral pH.

 

3. Osmosis - Activon,® Manuka Honey draws water out of the bacteria cells via osmosis dehydrating them and preventing them from reproducing.


4. High sugar, low water content – Activon® Manuka Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugars with a low water content. The sugars readily bind with water molecules so they are unavailable to feed micro-organism growth and division.5


5. Hydrogen Peroxide – Upon dilution with exudate, Activon® Manuka Honey produces low levels of hydrogen peroxide. While this level is not high enough to induce harmful effects on the patient, it is still effective as an anti-microbial agent.6
 

 
The wide range of modes of action give Activon® manuka honey its broad spectrum anti-microbial activity

Safe and effective debridement and desloughing

Necrotic tissue and slough can harbour bacteria and impede wound healing. Activon® Manuka Honey:
  • Promotes autolytic debridement by drawing water from skin cells via osmosis, which re-hydrates, softens and liquefies hard eschar and slough.
  • Creates an optimal environment to support the reduction in slough production due to its low pH.7
Before use of Activon Manuka honey

Before use of Activon® Manuka honey

After use of Activon® Manuka honey

After use of Activon® Manuka honey

Safe:
Activon® Manuka Honey helps to debride and deslough without the risks associated with other debridement techniques. It is totally safe because it is selective and only the necrotic or sloughy tissue is affected. Activon® Manuka Honey can also be used on infected wounds, where other methods of autolytic debridement are contra-indicated, due to its anti-microbial properties.

Effective:
It is important to remove necrotic and sloughy tissue as quickly as possible to restore the wound’s healing trajectory. In an 20 patient evaluation, Activon® Manuka Honey is the only honey successful in achieving 100% debridement on any of the patients (3 out of 5) at 15 days.8 Average debridement by day is shown in figure 1.
Activon graph

Fig. 1 Avergae debridement by day in wounds treated with honey and chemical debridement agent9

Malodour associated with wounds can have a serious effect on Quality of Life (QoL). Some patients report that it prevents them from socialising and that family members avoid visiting, which may lead to depression. Volatile odours are generated during the anaerobic metabolism of bacteria. Some common wound pathogens have distinctive odours, for example, Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces a fishy smell, and Staphylococcus aureus a cheesy smell.10 The sugars in Activon® Manuka Honey change the way in which the bacteria metabolises, which results in less odorous by-products.11

Activion Manuka Honey

activon® manuka honey works at the source of the odour to eliminate, not just mask, it
References:
1. Cooper R, Jenkins L, Rowlands R (2011) Inhibition of biofilms through the use of Manuka honey. Wounds UK 7(1): 24-­‐32
2. Perry P, O’Hara S. Do honey dressings reduce the need for antibiotics? Poster presentation
3. Marvic E, Wijmann S, Barth G, Henle T (2008) Identificaion and quantification of methylglyoxal as the dominant antibacterial constituent of Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honeys from New Zealand. Mol Nutr Food Res 52: 483-­‐89
4. Kwakman PHS, te Velde AA, de Boer L, Vandenbrouke-­‐Grauls CMJE, Zaat SAJ (2011) Two major medicinal honeys have different mechanisms of bactericidal activity. PLoS ONE 6(3): e17709
5. Cooper R (2006) The antibacterial activity of honey. In: White R, Cooper R, Molan P (2006) Honey: A Modern Wounds Management Product. Wounds UK, Aberdeen: 24-­‐32
6. Molan PC (1992) The antibacterial activity of honey. 1. The nature of the antibacterial activity. Bee World; 73(1): 5-­‐28.
7. Gethin G, Cowman S, (2005) Case series of use of Manuka honey in leg ulceration. Int Wound J. 2(1):10-15
8. Barcic M, Heasley D. Evaluation of a 100% Manuka honey (free of color additives and preservatives) in the debridement of diabetic foot ulcers versus a pharmaceutical chemical debrider and two other Manuka honey based products. Poster presentation
9. Heasley D. Evaluation of Expedience in the Debridement of Diabetic Ulcers with Fibrin Utilizing a Preservative and Coloration Free 100% Manuka Honey versus a Pharmaceutical Chemical Debrider, an 80% Manuka Honey with preservatives and Coloration and a 100% Manuka Honey with Color Additives. Poster presentation<
10. Cooper R. (2016) Honey for wound care in the 21st century, Journal of Wound Care. Vol 25, No 9
11. Akhmetova A, Saliev T, Allan IU, et al (2016) A comprehensive review of topical odor controlling treatment options for chronic wounds. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs 43(6): 598–609
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