The Antimicrobial Activity of Sugar Against Pathogens of Wounds and Other Infections of Man

Sugars have been used as wound dressings for at least 4,000 years in many parts of the world. The first recorded examples are from Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, and involve the application of honey mixed with greases such as lard or with resins (10). Two of the three main components of honey — glucose and fructose — are readily absorbed into the blood stream from a wound surface and could, under certain conditions, create metabolic problems. This property and the possible presence of resistant contaminating micro-organisms, such as spore-bearing bacilli, as well as the relatively high cost of honey, make sucrose a more attractive alternative; and it also has been used in folk medicine for many years.