>Can Stefan please provide a reference for where thyme honey has been tested
and shown ot have these powereful antibacterial properties

>Trevor Weatherhead
>AUSTRALIA


        Hello dear Trevor and Bee-L friends,

    The antibacterial properties of honey is for sure a very interesting and
long to discuss subject.

    In two Apimondia Congresses (1995 and 1997), Prof. Descottes of Limoges,
France spoke about the use of honey in the wounds treatment.

    I will have a look as soon as possible on his work and send all of you
more details.

    What I was told from one of Prof. Descottes team members is that they
mix honey with thyme oil in order to obtain a stronger antibacterial effect.


    Here are some references related to thyme honey:

From MEDLINE:
J Altern Complement Med 1996 Fall;2(3):345-8

Effect of honey versus thyme on Rubella virus survival in vitro.

Zeina B, Othman O, al-Assad S
Teshreen Hospital, Damascus, Syria.

In this paper, we assess the antiviral properties of honey solutions and
thyme extracts at varying concentrations. This was done by testing these
solutions in vitro using monkey kidney cell cultures that were infected with
the Rubella virus. Our results indicated that honey had good anti-Rubella
activity, while thyme did not. These results may justify the continuing use
of honey in traditional medicines from different ethnic communities
worldwide and in some modern medications such as cough syrups.

PMID: 9395668, UI: 98051851


From the Apitherapy Reference Data Base:

 Persano Oddo Livia,  Baldi,E.,  Accorti,M. (1990) (Italy)  -  Diastasic
activity in some unifloral honeys,
  in Apidologie 21(6),  p.17-24.


 Tan,S.T.,  Wilkins,A.L. and Reid,G.M. (1990)  -  A Chemical Procedure for
the Characterization of New Zealand Thyme and Willow Honeys,
 in New Zealand Beekeeper, February.


 Tan,S.T.,  Wilkins,A.L.,  Holland,P.T. and McGhie,T.K. (1990)  -
Extractives from New Zealand honeys. 3. Unifloral thyme and willow honey,
 in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 38 (9),  p.1833-1838.


 Drimjias,N.,  Karabournioti Sophia (1995) (Greece)   -  Characteristics of
Greek thymus honey,
  in Apiacta XXX, # 2,  pp.33-39.


 Karabournioti Sophia,  Drimjias,N. (1997) (Greece)  -  Some Physicochemical
Characteristics of Greek Monofloral Honeys,
  in Apiacta XXXII, #2,  p.44-50.



        Hope this helps!

        Stefan Stangaciu.