UTAR Faculty of Science, Department of Allied Health Sciences academic Dr Ng Wen Jie won the Best Oral Presenter Award for his research titled “Honey reduces virulence factors and biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates” at the Second International Congress on Bee Sciences. The congress was held on virtual platform Zoom from 14 to 16 June 2023.

Organised by Afyon Kocatepe University of Turkey, the Second International Congress on Bee Sciences focused on bee-related studies with a holistic approach encompassing beekeeping, bee products and usage areas with the concept of reliable bee products from apiary to consumers.

Dr Ng won the Best Oral Presentation Award and walked away with a certificate of appreciation.

The objective of his research was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of honey on the QS virulence factors and biofilm formation of antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. His research results showed honey has significantly reduced the growth, protease activity, pyocyanin production and exotoxin A concentration of ATCC 27853 and four clinical isolates. Other than biofilm formation, the swarming and swimming motility of all isolates were also significantly inhibited by the honey. Remarkable morphological changes in bacterial cells were also observed by using a scanning electron microscope. This study revealed the effectiveness of A. cerana honey to diminish QS virulence factors and biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa.  

Dr Ng explained, “P. aeruginosa is a highly opportunistic pathogen known to cause severe nosocomial infections in immunocompromised and critically ill patients. The ability of pathogenic bacteria to produce virulence factors, combined with their increasing resistance to multiple antibiotics, has made chronic infections difficult to treat. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified P. aeruginosa as one of the three critical priority pathogens that urgently require new antibiotics.”

He added, “In recent years, the use of natural products such as honey has attracted attention as an alternative approach to managing bacterial infections. Strategies that aim to reduce pseudomonal infectivity by neutralising or weakening bacterial virulence factors have advantages over conventional antibiotic therapy. By interfering with the bacterial virulence, the bacteria will become more vulnerable to the immune system or antibiotics, with minimal selective pressure on the survival of bacteria, thus making it less likely to induce drug resistance. Hence, by exploring the antivirulence factors and antibiofilm properties of honey, this study seeks to contribute to the development of new strategies for controlling and managing antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa infections.”

The second International Congress on Bee Sciences was organised online. The congress aimed to provide a platform for researchers to exchange ideas, and develop and implement new research and joint projects. There were 33 invited speakers from 19 different economies. The scientific committee of the congress consisted of 274 scientists from more than 160 universities. Almost 500 participants participated in the congress.