{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T16:03:09Z","timestamp":1786464189793,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Microbiology Society","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786406400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Respiratory bacterial infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and their treatment is increasingly complicated by antimicrobial resistance. M\u0101nuka honey has attracted interest as a potential alternative antimicrobial agent, although the extent to which antibacterial activity varies with Unique M\u0101nuka Factor (UMF\u2122) grade and the relative contribution of methylglyoxal (MGO) remain unclear. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of five UMF\u2122 grades of M\u0101nuka honey (5+, 10+, 12+, 15+ and 20+) was evaluated against clinically relevant respiratory pathogens: methicillin-susceptible\n                    <jats:italic>Staphylococcus aureus<\/jats:italic>\n                    (MSSA), methicillin-resistant\n                    <jats:italic>S. aureus<\/jats:italic>\n                    (MRSA),\n                    <jats:italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae<\/jats:italic>\n                    and\n                    <jats:italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa<\/jats:italic>\n                    . MICs were determined using broth microdilution assays. To assess the contribution of osmotic stress, bacterial growth responses were compared with a sugar solution matched to the carbohydrate composition of honey. In addition, MGO-matched control solutions were prepared to examine the contribution of MGO to antimicrobial activity. All M\u0101nuka honey samples inhibited bacterial growth, and MIC values decreased with increasing UMF\u2122 grade. MSSA and MRSA were the most susceptible organisms, whereas higher concentrations were required to inhibit the Gram-negative species. M\u0101nuka honey consistently inhibited bacterial growth more strongly than the matched sugar control, indicating that osmotic effects alone do not explain its antimicrobial activity. Although MGO-matched solutions exhibited antibacterial activity, they were generally less potent than the corresponding whole honey samples. These findings demonstrate that M\u0101nuka honey exhibits UMF-dependent antimicrobial activity against respiratory pathogens and suggest that its antibacterial effects arise from the combined action of MGO and additional components within the honey matrix\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1099\/mic.0.001746","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T13:50:45Z","timestamp":1786456245000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Unique M\u0101nuka Factor (UMF)-dependent antimicrobial activity of M\u0101nuka honey against respiratory pathogens cannot be explained by sugar and methylglyoxal alone"],"prefix":"10.1099","volume":"172","author":[{"given":"Gemma J.","family":"Allcott","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Present address: School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Worcester, UK"},{"name":"School of Biosciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jackie","family":"Evans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Comvita Ltd, Te Puke, New Zealand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Troy L.","family":"Merry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand"},{"name":"Comvita Ltd, Te Puke, New Zealand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5208-4056","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jonathan A. 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