Background: Besides a wholesome food, honey is known for its therapeutic implications. We investigated the antifungal
activity of five honeys of different types from Pakistan against various pathogenic fungal strains. Antifungal properties of
processed and non-processed honey were determined.
Materials and Methods: The antifungal assay of honey was carried out against
Aspergillus niger
,
Aspergillus flavus
,
Aspergillus fumigates
,
Alterneria alternata
,
Fusarium solanai
,
Microsporum canis
,
Penicillium funiculosium
and
Rhizopus solanai. Different dilutions of honey samples were used (20%, 50%, 70%, 90% and 100% w/v so as to find out the
minimum effective concentration of each honey type.
Results: It was observed that all of the honey samples were highly active, with percent inhibition range of (3-81%) for
Aspergillus niger, (2-82%) for
Aspergillus flavus, (1-76%)
for Aspergillus fumigates, (1-84%)
for Alterneria alternata, (2-
67%)
for Fusarium solanai, (1-87%)
Microsporum canis, (2-78%)
Penicillium funiculosium and (1-86%) for
Rhizopus
solanai.
Conclusion: The study of Pakistani honey brands reveals that they possess a substantial antifungal nature. Therefore, they
may be used in curing fungal infections along with antifungal drugs as a cheaper alternative natural remedy with no side
effects.
