Research into Western Australian honeys

On the 26 February 2002, the then Department of Agriculture released a media statement about the results of research conducted by Rob Manning and Nola Mercer about WA honeys’ antimicrobial activity using an assay developed in New Zealand. The research showed that Western Australian honey had some of the highest activity levels in the world due to a naturally occurring enzyme in the honey. Upon dilution of honey, the enzyme glucose oxidase produces low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide which is the source of its antimicrobial activity. It is different to Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honey from New Zealand which is termed a ‘non-peroxide’ (Molan and Russell 1988) honey because it’s activity is derived from a chemical called methylglyoxal. The chemical, the “Unique Manuka Factor (UMF)” in Manuka is unique and so far it has only been discovered in honey from Leptospermum species (Allen et al. 1991; Anon 1998; Davis 2005) which includes a species found in Western Australia (Beeinformed 2008). Since 2002