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Scottish honey may be as effective as more expensive manuka when it comes to beating bacteria, a study has shown.
Experts claim heather honey could offer a cheaper alternative to manuka, from New Zealand, which is already known for its medicinal qualities.
Honey’s anti-bacterial properties are widely used in veterinary medicine as a wound dressing.
The findings come from a study published in The Veterinary Journal and carried out by Dr Patrick Pollock and colleagues at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow.
Of 11 different honeys tested, heather honey from the Inverness area was particularly effective, killing MRSA microbes and three other types of bacteria.
Dr Pollock, a bee keeper, said: ‘While manuka is currently the only medical grade honey, the study reveals other honeys may be just as suitable.
‘Consequently, it may prove unnecessary to transport manuka honey from New Zealand when more local sources may be as, or even more, effective.’
Honeys largely get their anti-microbial properties from the hydrogen peroxide they contain. Manuka is thought to benefit from a phytochemical property and a methylglyoxal compound.
Heather honey costs an average of £1.90 for 100g while 100g of manuka is £4.71.

Dr Pollock said: 'Although manuka has been the most studied honey source to date, other honey sources may have valuable antimicrobial properties too.
'Honey is useful in equine medicine, particularly on wounds to legs. There is not much fat on the lower half of horses' legs, so can take a long time to heal, or even never fully heal at all.

Effective: Manuka is currently the only medicinal grade honey available, but other types may also be suitable (file picture)

'Honey helps to promote healing, cleaning the wound and keeping it infection free. If vets were able to use locally-sourced, cheaper honey as a wound dressing, it would be very beneficial particularly in poorer countries.'
The researchers took 29 honey products, including commercial medical grade honeys, supermarket honeys and honeys from local bee-keepers, and examined them for bacterial contamination before testing.
Eighteen were found to contain bacteria that excluded them from the trial and the remaining 11 were tested against 10 equine bacterial isolates at concentrations varying from two per cent to 16 per cent.
Eight of the honeys were effective against all the bacteria at concentrations ranging from two per cent to six per cent.

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