Faculty Mentor
Andrea Castillo, Ph.D.
Document Type
PowerPoint or Text of Presentation
Publication Date
Spring 5-11-2022
Department
Biology
Abstract
Long-term antibiotic use has allowed microbes to develop resistance and cause chronic infectious diseases that were previously treatable. Resistance is phenomenon in which bacteria survive treatment with a concentration of antibiotics that was once lethal. Bacteria resist antibiotic treatment by genetic change or initiating states of dormancy called persisters or Viable but Non-Culturable (VBNCs) cells. These subpopulations of antibiotic resistant persisters and VBNCs increase with exposure to stresses, including antibiotic treatment, and are a major cause of reoccurring infections that result in significant morbidity and mortality. Manuka honey (MH), a well-known alternative broad-spectrum antimicrobial, is a promising treatment for cutaneous infections. Although genetic resistance to MH has yet to be detected in bacteria, it remains unknown on how MH impacts persister and VBNC formation. In this study, we endeavored to quantify persister and VBNC cells induced by MH in three clinically relevant bacterial species treated. At fractional MIC concentrations, MH did not show a significant increase in percent persisters when compared to untreated samples or those treated with conventional antibiotics.
Recommended Citation
Tennyson, Bryn, "Does Manuka Honey Induce Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Persisters and Viable But Non-Culturable Subpopulations?" (2022). 2022 Symposium. 14.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2022/14
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
