The contribution of catalase and other natural products to the antibacterial activity of honey: a review

Several natural products are collected or manufactured by bees to construct their hive and produce honey. These include beeswax, flower volatiles, nectar, pollen, propolis and honey itself. Some of the components of these materials possess antibacterial properties and are discussed briefly to ascertain their contribution to the antibacterial activity of honey. New Zealand's manuka honey is known to possess a high level of "non-peroxide" antibacterial activity and research to identify the origin of this activity is briefly reviewed. Finally a hypothesis is advanced to explain the phenomenon of "non-peroxide" antibacterial activity in honey. The author concludes that this activity should be interpreted as residual hydrogen peroxide activity, which is probably due to the absence of plant-derived catalase from honey, an idea first suggested by Dustman in 1971. [Dustman, J. H. (1971). Uber die Katalaseaktivitat in Bienenhonig aus der Tracht der Heidekrautgewachse (Ericaceae). Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und Forschung, 145, 292-295] (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.