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Methylglyoxal: (active agent of manuka honey) in vitro activity against bacterial biofilms

Shaun J Kilty1, Melanie Duval, Francis T Chan

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. shaunkilty@hotmail.com

International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology
|January 31, 2012
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Methylglyoxal (MGO), a key component of Manuka honey (MH), effectively combats Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA) biofilms in laboratory settings. This study demonstrates MGO

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Otolaryngology

Background:

  • Bacterial biofilms, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA), are implicated in poor outcomes for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).
  • Manuka honey (MH) exhibits in vitro efficacy against SA and PA biofilms and is safe for sinonasal mucosa.
  • Methylglyoxal (MGO) is identified as the primary antibacterial compound in MH, but its effect on biofilms was previously unreported.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Methylglyoxal (MGO) against biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a standard in vitro biofilm model to assess the effective concentration (EC) of MGO.
  • Tested MGO against 10 isolates each of methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA) and PA, including both biofilm and planktonic forms.

Main Results:

  • For MRSA, MGO's EC against planktonic cells ranged from 0.08-0.3 mg/mL, while against biofilms it was 0.5-3.6 mg/mL.
  • For PA, MGO's EC against planktonic cells ranged from 0.15-1.2 mg/mL, and against biofilms it was 1.8-7.3 mg/mL.

Conclusions:

  • Methylglyoxal (MGO), derived from Manuka honey (MH), demonstrates significant in vitro antimicrobial effectiveness against both planktonic and biofilm forms of MRSA and PA.
  • MGO presents a potential therapeutic agent for managing infections involving these challenging bacterial biofilms.

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