| What is active Leptospermum honey? |
| It is the most studied honey for the management of wounds and burns, and is ideal for use in injuries requiring medical-grade honey. Active Leptospermum honey is, with calcium alginate, the main component of the MEDIHONEY® dressings for wound care. |
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| With what type of injuries can I use MEDIHONEY®? |
| MEDIHONEY® can be used in a variety of hard to heal wounds, whether acute or chronic, including: |
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| · Diabetic foot ulcers |
| · Venous ulcers |
| · Arterial Ulcers |
| · Ulcers of mixed etiologies |
| · Pressure Ulcers (Stages I - IV) |
| · 1st and 2nd degree Burns |
| · Donor Areas |
| · Surgical and traumatic wounds |
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| What is the basis of its antimicrobial action? |
| Its antimicrobial action is based on several factors: |
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| 1.- |
Production of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2): When hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with the wound's moisture, the glucose oxidase enzyme found in honey converts the glucose and oxygen into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. |
| 2.- |
Duration of Effect: Common honeys denaturalize very rapidly. Traditional means of sterilization accelerate this denaturation. Leptospermum Honey maintains its effectiveness for several days and can be sterilized without affecting its activity. |
| 3.- |
Decreased pH: MEDIHONEY® has a pH near 3.5, significantly acidifying the environment. The skin's acid mantle protects it from microorganisms. Low pH also reduces the activity of proteases and increases oxygen diffusion. |
| 4.- |
High Osmolarity: MEDIHONEY® has a strong osmotic activity. The hyperosmolar action has bactericidal and bacteriostatic powers, since all organisms require water for growth, that is expressed as a balance between the water activity of the substrate and the microorganism's cytoplasm. When solutes are added to the cellular environment, as with honey, a hyperosmolar medium is produced, in which the osmotic effect decreases the water activity of the cytoplasm and the bacterium dies. This bactericidal effect helps accelerate the healing process of infected wounds. The high osmolarity of honey also helps the lymphatic output, providing the necessary nutrition for tissue regeneration. This osmotically induced output also helps remove debris from the wound bed. |
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| Is the concentration of hydrogen peroxide produced cytotoxic? |
| According to the studies performed, the concentration of peroxide are below the risk level for cytotoxicity. The release of hydrogen peroxide occurs in a constant and continuous manner. |
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| Is MEDIHONEY a fungicide? |
| Yes it is. |
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| How does it destroy the fungi? |
| Leptospermum Honey has broad-spectrum effects. It is effective against gram-negative and gram-positive, both anaerobic and aerobic, as well as against fungi and protozoans. Leptospermum Honey has been shown to inhibit more than 80 different species of microorganisms (bacteria, dermatophytes, fungi and yeasts, protozoans and viruses). The action on microorganisms, as mentioned earlier, is a combination of several factors including production of peroxide, reduced pH and osmotic action. |
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| How is MEDIHONEY® classifed and what activity level does it have? |
| MEDIHONEY® is evaluated against rigorous tests and standard patterns, including a classification to quantify the activity level. This standardization classifies all the Leptospermum honeys verifying its activity level and the special characteristics that makes them beneficial for the management of wounds and burns, according to the following classification: |
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| Activity Rating 0: No activity. |
| Activity Rating 1 to 12: Moderate Activity. |
| Activity Rating 13 or higher: High Activity. |
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| The Leptospermum honey used in MEDIHONEY® preparations is Activity Rating 15 or higher. |
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| How does it favor the immune system? |
| MEDIHONEY® promotes the growth of macrophages, keratinocytes and fibroblasts (immune cells), exerting anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation activities. It also stimulates the formation of TNF? (Tumor Necrosis Factor - alpha) in monocytes. This is a cytokine that acts as a mediator and activator of neutrophils and is one of the major mediators of the acute inflammatory response. In addition, the 5.8-kDa component of Leptospermum Honey stimulates immune cells via TLR4. |
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