Bee Products That Kill Bacteria

Bees produce several substances to build their hives and feed themselves. Three of these substances--royal jelly, honey and propolis--have antibacterial properties. Researchers are studying these natural antibacterials for their applications in foods, cosmetics and medicine. It appears that the antibacterial properties of bee products are due to a number of different compounds that work together.

Honey

• Honey is the viscous, sweet fluid created by bees from the nectar of flowering plants. The color, taste, scent, viscosity and properties of honey vary according to the source of nectar. Honey appears to preserve itself and has long been noted for its antibacterial properties.

  According to one study published in 2008 in the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, honey's antibacterial properties vary depending on the kind of nectar it is created from. In 2009, a study in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology discovered that manuka honey, from the Australian tree, is effective against the genus of bacteria Campylobacter, which causes diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea, in concentrations as low as of 1 percent. This suggests that Campylobacter, a "stomach bug," may be treated with oral ingestion of manuka honey.

Royal Jelly

• Royal jelly is a creamy paste secreted by bees that is used to feed the larvae of queen bees. Although it has a high water content, it has potent antibiotic properties. According to one study in the Alternative Medicine Review in 2008, honey's antibacterial properties might be increased by the addition of small amounts of royal jelly.

Propolis

• Unlike honey or royal jelly, propolis is not a food. It is a tacky substance created from plant resins that bees stick against the wax walls of their hive. Scientists are still unclear on its use. It may be used to plug holes in the structure of the hive, but also seems to play an important role in keeping bacteria out of the hive.

Antibacterial Components

• The antibacterial properties of honey, royal jelly and propolis are likely due to a combination of antibacterial components.

  According to one study in the Journal of Food Science in 2008, compounds called flavonoids are present in all three bee products. Among other activities, flavonoids battle bacteria.

  In honey, an enzyme called glucose oxidase may be responsible for some of its antibacterial activity. Glucose oxidase converts glucose and oxygen into glucolactone and peroxide. Peroxide is a powerful antiseptic, one that is often used in its pure form for first aid.

  In 1990, scientists discovered a protein in royal jelly that they named royalisin which is effective against Gram-positive bacteria. The results were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Potential

• Honey, royal jelly and propolis have applications in food products, cosmetics and medicine as preservatives, antibacterials and antiseptics. Some natural products like Burt's Bees, use glucose oxidase as a natural preservative. Likewise, wound-healing products that contain manuka honey are already on the market.