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Antibacterial honey reduced ocular bacteria in patients with dry eye

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Topically applied antibacterial honey significantly reduced the number of ocular bacteria in patients with dry eye syndrome, a study found.

"From these results, there is sufficient preliminary data to warrant further study of the effects of antibacterial honey in chronic ocular surface diseases," the authors said.

Julie M. Albietz, PhD, and Lee M. Lenton, FRANZCO, FRACS, applied antibacterial honey three times daily to the eyes of patients with dry eye syndrome due to a number of pathologies, including Sjögren's syndrome and meibomian gland dysfunction, as well as control subjects with no dry eye syndrome. To measure the honey's effect on ocular flora, the researchers compared bacterial samples taken at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after treatment began.

After 3 months of treatment, the researchers found that the total colony-forming units (CFUs) in the eyelids and the conjunctiva (P < .0001) had decreased in all dry eye groups. The total CFUs in the dry eye groups were no longer statistically significantly different from those in the control group.

The study is published in the October issue of Cornea.