Studies on the Effect of Garlic and Honey on Some Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
These study results indicate that honey remedies may be of some use to people with sinusitis, it’s important to seek medical attention in treatment of sinusitis in order to reduce risk of serious complications (such as meningitis and vision problems).
CHPATER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
HISTORY OF GARLIC AND HONEY
Garlic: Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. With a history of human use of over 7,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was known to Ancient Egyptians, and has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
Garlic has been cultivated by humans since the beginning of recorded time. Archaeologists have found evidence for garlic in Egyptian tombs dating back to 3750 BCE. It is believed that slaves in Egypt were given Garlic as part of their daily food ration. Moving forward in time, Aristotle mentions the value of garlic and Aristophanes recommends garlic as a treatment for impotence. The great Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder in his “Historian Naturalism” prescribes garlic for a great number of ailments. There is mention of garlic in the Bible: “….We remembers the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.” The Vikings and Phoenicians put Garlic in their sea-chests before starting long voyages. The use of garlic as food and antidote for various illnesses covers all corners of the globe. There are records for garlic medical uses in Korea, India, and China. “In Gojoseon, where the founding myth of Korea is recorded, there is a story of a tiger and a bear who wanted to reincarnate in human form and who ate wormwood and garlic. In Jewang Ungi, which was written around the time of Samguk Yusa, wormwood and garlic are described as ‘eatable medicine’, showing that, even in times when incantatory medicine was the mainstream, medicinal herbs were given as curatives in Korea.
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees (the genus Apis) is the one most commonly referenced. It is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans. Honey produced by other bees and insects has distinctly different properties.
Honey bees transform nectar into honey by a process of regurgitation, and store it as a primary food source in wax honeycombs inside the beehive. Beekeeping practices encourage overproduction of honey so the excess can be taken from the colony.
CHAPTER THREE
MATERIAL AND METHOD
MATERIALS
Slide (microscope), microscopy sterile container, stains (acid – fast stain), crystal violet stain, ethanol, safaranin, sterile swab, sterile moculating loop, sheep blood agar, chocolate agar, macconkey agar, incubator, sterile plates,
STUDY POPULATION:
This group comprised of 50 subjects. (25 males, 25 females) aged 20-50 years with clinical signs and symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections cough attending clinical FMC and general Hospital Owerri.
The subjects were properly informed of the purpose of this research and then their full consent were obtained as required by WHO, (TDR 2001).
SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Based on the clinical condition of the patient, the physician determines what group of the micro organism iws likely to be causing the infection, and then orders one or more bacterial. For all culture types, the specimen must be collected into a sterile container and care must be taken to minimize specimen contamination by the normal floral of the mouth and the throat. Once in the laboratory, each culture type is handled differently.
Specimen (sputum) must be expectorated from the brouchi by deep forceful coughing. The recovery of sputum specimen is best in the early morning. The patient should rinse his or her mouth by gargling with water prior to coughing.
Taking deep breaths and lowering the head helps bring up the sputum. The specimen (sputum) must be held in the mouth but immediately spat into a sterile container. For tuberculosis, the physician may request sputum samples from the patient on three consecutive mornings.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT AND ANALYSIS
From table 1 above, it is clear observed that the inhibitory effect of garlic on staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pneumonia, staphylococcus viridian, haemophilus influenza is higher than in mycoplasma pneumonia including its zone of inhibition.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION
The result of this study on the effect of honey and garlic on upper respiratory tract infections revealed that honey and garlic has anti bacterial effects. This was revealed in the high level of inhibition exihibited by these organisms isolated ie: Staphylococcus aurus, streptococcus preumonia, staphylococcus viridian and haemonia, influenza.
The finding of this study is in conformity with the reports of Balkly (2004) and (El-sheikh 1998) who reported that honey and garlic has an antibacterial effect in a study conducted in Imo State.
The reported antibacterial effect exhibited by honey and garlic could be as result of the presences of allicin in garlic which was reported by Archer (2004). The antibacterial effect of honey and garlic could be the reason why they are incorporated in most herbal cough mixtures.
This study also revealed that honey has a monosaccharides glucose and fructose. Also, it was revealed that garlic according to the result, has a high level of inhibition zone on the micro=organisms that were isolated from patients from 41=50 years of age than patients from 20-40 years of age of the samples collected. (in staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus preumoniae microorganisms isolated from the samples collected).
With this study above, it is obvious that garlic can be used to treat some upper respiratory tract inflections (cough) than honey.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this research having shown that staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pneumonia and others are highly contagious, effects should therefore be geared towards the production of vaccine, pure garlic syrups and natural honey syrups which will help to prevent these diseases caused by streptococcus pneumonia, staphylococcus aureus and others in other to reduce the spread of this bacterium/disease.
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