Acceleration of wound healing by topical application of honey. An animal model

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Bergman A. Yanai J. Weiss J. Bell D. David MP. x American Journal of Surgery. [JC:3z4] 145(3):374-6, 1983 Mar. x Commercial unboiled honey was applied topically to open wounds of 12 mice. x Twelve other mice served as a control group and their wounds were dressed x with saline solution only. Wound healing was judged histopathologically by x measuring the thickness of granulation tissue, epithelization from the x periphery of the wound, and the size of the open wounds. The animals were x killed 3, 6, and 9 days from the day they were wounded and treated, and x their wounds were examined histopathologically. According to the three x mentioned criteria, wounds of the honey-treated animals healed much faster x than the wounds of the control animals (p less than 0.001). Unboiled x commercial honey seems to accelerate wound healing when applied topically x due to its energy-producing properties, its hygroscopic effect on the x wound, and its bacteriocidic properties. Our results suggest that honey x applied topically on open wounds accelerates the healing process. x