Table 1.

Dominant antibacterial constituents of honey and their mechanisms of action against oral bacteria.

Antibacterial Factor/Compound	Origin	Target Bacteria		Mechanism of Action	Ref.
		Gram-Positive	Gram-Negative
MRJP1	bee	+ *	+ *	Disruption of cell wall integrity *	[32,33,34]
defensin-1	bee	+	+	Decreased bacterial cell hydrophobicity and disruption of cell membrane permeability	[35,36,37,38]
H2O2	bee	+	+	Destruction of cell wall integrity. Lipid peroxidation and damage to bacterial cell proteins and DNA	[39,40,41]
gluconic acid	bee	-	+	Membrane depolarisation and destruction	[42]
MGO	plant	+	+	Oxidative stress by reacting with cellular proteins and DNA	[43,44,45]

* Reported antibacterial activity remains controversial.