Marcus Knight

It is also known today why honey has an antiseptic effect: When producing honey, bees add an enzyme called glucose-oxidase. This enzyme ensures that small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, an effective antiseptic, are constantly being formed from the sugar in the honey. The advantage over the hydrogen peroxide from the chemist's is that small concentrations are sufficient to kill the germs, as it is constantly being produced. As a rule much larger quantities of hydrogen peroxide would have to be used, as hydrogen peroxide loses its potency over time. However, in large concentrations it not only damages the bacteria, but also the skin cells.
Furthermore, medihoney consists of two different types of honey: One which forms a comparatively large amount of hydrogen peroxide, and another known as 'lepto-spermum honey'. Leptospermum is a species of tree which occurs in new zealand and australia. Honey from these trees has a particularly strong anti-bacterial effect, even in a 10% dilution. 'it is not yet known exactly why this is, ' dr. Arne simon says. 'probably it is a mix of phenol-type substances which come from the plant and make life particularly difficult for the bacteria in the wound. '

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