Sahel Abyar - Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Nazanin Movassef Ghalicheh - Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, ShahidBeheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Ahmadreza Mehrabian - Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, ShahidBeheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Parastoo Saniee - Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESEryngo honey originated from Eryngium L. (a genus of flowering plants belonging Apiaceae)is known as Zoll in Persian language and is one of the tastiest and medical kinds of honeyproduced in the heights of the mountainous regions of Iran. Gossypium L., one of the famousplant taxa in Malvaceae is the origin of another monofloral honey produced in limited regionin the cotton fields of Iran and has some therapeutic properties. In the present study,antimicrobial activity of these two Iranian honeys was examined against Methicillinresistance Staphylococcus aureus.MATERIALS AND METHODSFor antimicrobial activity assay, ۱۰۰-۲۵ % concentrations of Eryngo and Cotton honeys wereprepared. Antibacterial activity of recruited honeys was examined against Methicillinresistance Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC ۱۸۲۶) by disk diffusion assay. Minimum inhibitoryconcentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined bybroth microdilution method. All tests were performed in triplicate.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONDisk diffusion assay showed that at concentration of ۱۰۰%, Eryngo honey and Cotton honeycreated inhibition zones of ۳۲ mm and ۳۴ mm against MRSA, respectively. Both testedhoney types, totally inhibited bacterial growth at the ۱۰۰% and ۷۵% concentrations. Noantimicrobial effects were observed at concentrations of ۵۰% and ۲۵%.CONCLUSIONUntil now, Manuka honey originates from the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium), anendemic plant grown in New Zealand is the most famous honey with antimicrobialproperties. Result of this pilot study showed the Eryngo and Cotton honeys have remarkableantimicrobial effect on MRSA. Further study on more antibiotic-resistance bacteria maysuggest these Iranian honeys as good candidates for medical applications

Honey, antimicrobial effect, MRSA