TEA TREE OIL

'Tea tree oil' or 'melaleuca oil' is a clear to very pale golden color essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odour. It is taken from the leaves of the ''Melaleuca alternifolia'' which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. The oil is believed to have beneficial cosmetic and medical properties (including antiseptic and antifungal action).
The term "tea tree oil" is somewhat of a misnomer since ''Melaleuca alternifolia'' is a paperbark rather than a tea tree (genus ''Leptospermum'').
Tea tree oil should also not be confused with tea oil, the sweet seasoning and cooking oil from pressed seeds of the tea plant ''Camellia sinensis'' or the tea oil plant ''Camellia oleifera''.

Contents

History and extraction

Medicinal use

Safety

References

External links

History and extraction

Indigenous Australians have used oil extracted from the tree's needles for hundreds, and possibly thousands, of years. Currently, tea tree oil is obtained by steam distillation of the leaves. Among over 98 compounds contained in the oil, terpinen-4-ol is responsible for most of the antimicrobial actions.
Although tea tree oil is normally extracted from ''Melaleuca alternifolia'' commercially, it can also be extracted from ''Melaleuca dissitiflora'' and ''Melaleuca linariifolia.'' Tea tree oil is defined by international standard ISO 4730 ("Oil of ''Melaleuca'', Terpinen-4-ol type"), which specifies levels of 14 components which are needed to define the oil as "tea tree oil."

Medicinal use

Tea tree oil has been recognized as a potent antiseptic in Australia anecdotally for much longer than there has been scientific evidence. However, recent studies support a role for tea tree oil in skin care and treatment of various ailments.
Tea tree oil is a known antifungal agent, effective ''in vitro'' against multiple dermatophytes found on the skin.^[1] ''In vivo'', shampoo with 5% tea tree oil has been shown to be an effective treatment for dandruff due to its ability to treat Malassezia furfur, the most common cause of the condition.^[2]
Tea Tree Oil is used in medically used cosmetic products also. Some references are there to suggest its role as antiviral.
Effectiveness of topical tea tree oil preparations for Candidiasis is supported by their ability to kill Candida ''in vitro.''^[3]
In the treatment of moderate acne, topical application of 5% tea tree oil has shown an effect comparable to 5% benzoyl peroxide, albeit with slower onset of action.^[4]
Tea tree oil is also effective for treating insect bites, boils and minor wounds. ^[5] It has also been known to help soothe sunburns, poison ivy, ear infections, and bee stings. ^[5]
Diluted solutions of tea tree oil are sold as remedies which claim to treat bacterial and fungal infection in pet fish.
Pets: Skin problems, wounds, insect bites and stings, and ringworm can all be treated with tea tree oil or products made with tea tree oil. There are some cases where pure tea tree oil placed on the skin of the animal can cause irritation (recovering quickly after discontinuing). Therefore, test the treatment first by applying only to a small area of the animal's skin. ^[7]
Toothpastes and mouthwashes containing tea tree oil are shown to be effective for a number of oral problems. Some of these include, halitosis (bad breath), gum disease, and canker sores.
^[8]
[9]
[10]
There is some limited research that has shown that tea tree oil may have anti-viral activity, especially with the Herpes virus (cold sores, chicken pox and shingles blisters, warts, etc.)
^[11]

Safety

Melaleuca oil is used almost exclusively externally.
Data on oral use of tea tree oil in humans in large quantities is sparse aside from several anecdotal reports of side effects following oral ingestion ^[12]. Symptoms may include ataxia and drowsiness. A relatively small number of people report an allergic reaction to tea tree oil which could consist of a minor skin irritation. In a study of 725 consecutive patients, patients were patch tested with undiluted, 1 % and
0.1 % Tea Tree Oil. For pure undiluted tea tea oil, less than 6% of the patients observed positive reactions of skin irritation.
Only 1 of 725 patients observed a positive reaction of skin irritation with the 1% dilution. None of the 725 patients observed adverse reactions with the 0.1 % dilution.^[13].
A case study reported in a recent publication showed a possible association between repeated topical application of products containing lavender oil with prepubertal gynecomastia (abnormal breast development in young boys). The study involved just three individuals. All three cases included the use of lavender oil. In one of the three cases, a product was used that contained lavender oil as well as tea tree oil, and other ingredients. The prepubertal gynecomastia reversed after discontinuing use of products containing lavender oil. In the same paper, results from cell culture assays indicated that both essential oils exhibit weak estrogenic properties. Researchers indicated that other components in these products may also have contributed to the gynecomastia, but those components were not yet tested. Researchers also noted that estrogenic activities have also been reported for many other commonly used essential oils as well as foods such as almonds and peanuts.^[14] Other articles have cast doubt as to the conclusions of the article and dismissed the study as having used "poor methodology".^[15][16]
As with many antibiotics, if used in 4% concentrations or below it may activate stress reactions in bacteria which can cause them to become less sensitive to antibiotics in vitro.^[17] Tea tree oil is not recommended for use in the ears.^[18]

References

1. Antifungal activity of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil) against pathogenic fungi in vitro, Nenoff P, Haustein UF, Brandt W, , , Skin Pharmacol., 1996
2. Treatment of dandruff with 5% tea tree oil shampoo, Satchell AC, Saurajen A, Bell C, Barnetson RS, , , J Am Acad Dermatol., 2002
3. In-vitro activity of essential oils, in particular Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil and tea tree oil products, against Candida spp., Hammer K, Carson C, Riley T, , , J Antimicrob Chemother, 1998
4. A comparative study of tea-tree oil versus benzoylperoxide in the treatment of acne., Bassett I, Pannowitz D, Barnetson R, , , Med J Aust, 1990
5. The Great Melaleuca Fact Book, Clark, S. T., , , , 1994,
6. The Great Melaleuca Fact Book, Clark, S. T., , , , 1994,
7. Tea Tree Oil, Small, B.E.J., , , Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, 1981
8. A Natural Antiseptic and Fungicide, Shemesh, A. and Mayo, W.L., , , International Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 1991
9. The Antimicrobial Effects of an Essential Oil on Selected Oral Pathogens, Walsh, L.J. and Longstaff, J., , , Periodontology, 1987
10. The Anti-microbial Activity of Essential Oils and Essential Oil Components Towards Oral Bacteria,", Shapiro, S., Meier, A. and Guggenheim, B., , , Oral Microbiology Immunology, 1994
11. Anti-viral Activity of the Essential Oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, Bishop, C.D., , , Journal of Essential Oil Research, 1995
12. Ingestion of tea tree oil (Melaleuca oil) by a 4-year-old boy., Morris M, Donoghue A, Markowitz J, Osterhoudt K, , , Pediatr Emerg Care, 2003
13. Prevalenza della
sensibilizzazione all´olio essenziale di Melaleuca. Ann Ital Dermatol Allergol 54, Lisi P, Melingi L, Pigatto P, Ayala F, Suppa F, Foti C, Angelini G, , , , 2000
14. Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils, Henley D, Lipson N, Korach K, Bloch C, , , N Engl J Med, 2007
15. Cosmetics and Toiletries Magazine
16. Essential Oils Not Linked to Breast Growth in Young Boys
17. Tea tree oil can lead to antibiotic resistance
18. eDrugDigest

External links

★ HerbMed

★ Tea Tree Oil as Acne Treatment

★ Tea Tree Oil Research Group, University of Western Australia.