In recent years, research has focused on using honey in tissue engineering applications.

Things like electrospun nanofibres, hydrogels and cryogels, foams, films, powders, cements, and bioinks have been utilised to fabricate honey-based scaffolds.

And some studies have shown how antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be more susceptible to antibiotics when used in tandem with honey.

In one paper they cite, when Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was exposed to manuka honey in combination with oxacillin, they acted together to desensitise the MRSA to the antibiotic.

Honey’s antimicrobial activity also includes the ability to kill or slow the spread of fungi and viruses.

Honey, though, used in combination with traditional wound dressings presents some limitations, such as being absorbed by the dressing, poor penetration into the wound site, and short-term antimicrobial action.

However, manufacturers of impregnated dressings are attempting to improve their delivery mechanism to improve the efficacy of the substance.

Lead scientist Joel Yupanqui Mieles a postgraduate researcher from The University of Manchester said: “Honey has exciting antimicrobial properties and has been used in traditional medicine to treat wounds since ancient times.

“The ancient Egyptians utilised it to treat wounds and there are direct references to honey consumption in the Bible and the Quran.

“The compounds in honey offer a bank of potential antimicrobial and regenerative agents that can be utilised to combat antibiotic resistance and aid in tissue healing.

“But though the repository of compounds within honey may have immense medical benefit, further research is required to understand more about how they work and how they can be delivered to wounds effectively and safely in a standardised way.

He added: “Knowing the type and composition of honey used in different wound types will also improve the quality of research.

“That will allow scientists to make the most of honey’s antimicrobial and healing mechanisms

“It might even allow us to artificially replicate these in honey-inspired biomaterials that can be exploited with the current advances in tissue engineering technologies.

“That would minimise risks around processing in terms sterilisation, storage, transport and determining authenticity and safety.

“One thing is certain: rising global antibiotic resistance is stimulating the development of novel therapies as alternatives to combat infections – and honey, we think, has a role to play in that.

”People who are worried about a wound should not treat themselves with honey without speaking to a medical profession first.”