Manu Nutraceuticals Ltd. was formed several years ago in response to world-wide demand for natural antimicrobial products containing Manuka oil and/or Manuka honey.

The New Zealand Maori people have known and understood the healing properties of extracts from the Manuka plant for hundreds of years, but in other parts of the world little was known of this remarkable plant, until recently.

Because microbial and insecticidal resistance is now commonplace amongst many conventional synthetic products, research into traditional remedies has increased markedly in recent years, with scientists traveling to many remote parts of the world in the search for new solutions.

One major discovery has been the effectiveness of extracts from the New Zealand Manuka plant in controlling a broad spectrum of microbes, including gram positive bacteria, fungi, and yeasts that can cause serious skin infection in both humans and animals.

Once Manuka’s antimicrobial properties had been established in scientific studies, the search continued throughout New Zealand for the most effective chemotype, which has now been identified growing in the East Cape region of the North Island.

This chemotype of Manuka contains much higher concentrations of triketone compounds, responsible for the antimicrobial activity, than in any other region in New Zealand.

Elsewhere in this website we report the results of independent Scientific Studies which compare East Cape Manuka essential oil with other well known antimicrobial oils including Australian Tea Tree oil. The results of these trials confirm that Manuka oil is notably superior to Australian Tea Tree oil in controlling a variety of bacteria that can cause skin problems.

Furthermore, Manuka oil appears to be much more easily tolerated on the skin than Tea Tree oil with no reports of allergic reaction to date.

However it is not only the essential oil of the Manuka plant that has special antimicrobial properties, but also the honey collected from the flowers of the Manuka plant.

The healing properties of honey have been recorded as long as four thousand years ago and even at that time honey collected from certain floral sources was considered to be more effective than others.

Research by Professor Peter Molan at Waikato University in New Zealand into honey from a variety of floral sources confirms that honey from Manuka flowers had superior antimicrobial activity, studies which have led to Manuka honey being recognized by the medical community around the world as having unique properties effective in controlling some of the most challenging bacteria including MRSA which has become resistant to conventional antibiotics.

However, the antimicrobial properties of Manuka honey can vary between regions and seasons, so in order to provide a reliable measurement of its effectiveness, an independent testing authority was established to test every batch, grading it according to its degree of "Unique Manuka Factor®" or UMF.

With the recognition of Manuka plant extracts and honey having special antimicrobial qualities, inquiry from around the world followed for products containing these unique natural ingredients.

Our Managing Director, Bill Gluyas studied Agricultural Science at Lincoln University in Canterbury, before working at one of New Zealand’s leading Agricultural Research facilities at Whatawhata near Hamilton for five years.

He then returned to take over management of the family farm near the famous Waitomo Caves in the King Country region of the North Island where he was introduced to the traditional medicinal uses of native plants by a prominent local Maori family.

This led to a part time study of these plants and the treatments that they could provide.

The Waitomo farm included a number of remnants of native forest which, while they were attractive additions to the landscape and provided shelter for livestock, they were also accessible to the sheep and some wild goats which browsed on the young re-growth.

By 1980 Bill Gluyas had become concerned about the sustainability of many of the valuable species of native plants in these remnants which because of their exposure to grazing livestock were not able to re-generate.

So in 1984 he decided to protect a large block of 35 acres of native forest remnant. It was fenced off from the pasture areas and protected with a Queen Elizabeth 2nd Open Space Covenant.

The Covenant now protects this area of native forest in perpetuity, so regardless of future ownership, it will remain for future generations to enjoy and study.

In 1986 Bill Gluyas was made a Life Member of the Queen Elizabeth 2nd National Trust in recognition of his contribution to conservation.

A recent visit to this Covenant shows tremendous re-growth of all species present in the area, with parts that were previously completely open to walk through now virtually impenetrable, such is the level of regeneration in 20 years.

Personal experience of successfully using Manuka products for various skin ailments, and increasing numbers of reports from others together with enquiries from overseas eventually led to the development of this website and the production of specific products for a wide range of skin and related problems.

Today Manuka essential oil and Manuka UMF honey provide highly effective natural solutions to a wide range of Skin Problems including; acne, eczema, herpes, athlete’s foot, ringworm, yeast infection, seborrheic dermatitis, candida albicans, and a wide range of parasite infestations including lice, scabies and chiggers, as well as acting as an effective repellent against mosquitoes and sand flies.

Manu Nutraceuticals Ltd. is a small company, dedicated to providing the highest quality Manuka oil and honey based natural products, with a high level of customer support and service to people from all over the world seeking natural alternatives to conventional synthetic treatments for a wide range of skin ailments.

We hope you will try these natural, safe and highly effective Manuka products, and pass your experiences on to others.