Honey 10-18NR .indd

The use of honey in medicine dates as far back as c. 50 AD where Dioscorides is cited as describing honey as being ‘good for all rotten and hollow ulcer’ (Molan, 2001b). Since ancient times, honey products have continued to be used across the world in wound management, however, their use in modern wound care has diminished, particularly over the last half a century. This has primarily been attributed to the introduction of systemic antibiotics and the advent of a plethora of modern wound care products (Molan, 2001a).With the vast use of antibiotics and the subsequent development of anti-microbial drug resistance, a major crisis in health care has occurred which clearly highlights the need for alternative treatment options (Al-Waili and Saloom, 1999).