Tea Tree Oil - Medicinal Uses, Interactions, Side Effects, Dosage
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<p><strong>Tea Tree Oil </strong></p>
<p>Tea tree oil, or melaleuca oil, is an essential oil from the leaves of <em>Melaleuca altemifolia, </em>a tree native to Australia. </p>
<p><strong>Uses and Benefits: </strong></p>
<p>Tea tree oil is primarily used as a topical anti-infective. It is found in facial care products to treat or prevent acne, mouthwashes and toothpaste, and skin and nail care products to treat or prevent fungal infections. </p>
<p><strong>Pharmacology:</strong></p>
<p> Components of the essential oil are numerous; the primary antimicrobial constituents are terpinen-4-ol, 1-8-cine­ole, and alpha-terpineol. Antimicrobial activity has been demon rated <em>in vitro </em>against various aerobic (e.g., <em>Staphylococcus aureus, Fscherichia coli, Propionibacterium acnes, Pseudomonas aerugi­Ilosa) </em>and anaerobic bacteria. 1 <em>In vitro </em>antifungal activity is estab­lished for <em>Candida, Trichophyton, </em>and other species. Minimum Illhibitory concentrations (MICs) and/or microbicidal concentra­lions for most organisms range from 0.25% to 8%. <em>S. aureus </em>and lIlost gram-negative bacteria have much lower MICs (0.25-0.5%) lilan the common resident skin flora. s In addition, <em>in vitro </em>testing <em>1)( </em><em>Gardnerella vaginalis, Bacteroides, </em>and other gram-positive .Inaerobic cocci commonly associated with bacterial vaginosis in­dicates MIC go of less than or equal to 0.5%.</p>
<p><strong>Clinical Trials: </strong></p>
<p> Fungal Infections-Uncontrolled trials and case series have ported benefits for various fungal skin and nail infections.7- g flowever, minimal benefits for tinea infections were demonstrated two double-blind, randomized, controlled trials. For the treatment of <em>Tinea pedis, </em>one trial compared topical tolnaftate 1%, tea oil1 0%, and placebo in 121 patients. Mycological cure was d(:monstrated in 85%, 30%, and 21 % of patients, respectively.ective therapy, defined as achievement of both mycological cure (negative culture results) and improvement by 2 points on a 0-4 numeric symptom scale, was demonstrated in 46%, 22%, and 9% of patients. </p>
<p><strong>Adverse Effects: </strong></p>
<p>Contact dermatitis from tea tree oil, tea troo oil products, and tea tree foliage is well documented. Reportnd adverse events of irritation from low-concentration products used in trials are <10%.</p>
<p><strong>Side Effects and Interactions:: </strong></p>
<p>Tea tree oil used in conjunction with other topical medications containing surfactants may affect antimicrobial activity. </p>
<p><strong>Cautions:</strong></p>
<p>Tea tree oil should not be taken internally. High-percentage oil products should be kept away from children; ingestion of <10 ml of 100% oil has resulted in central nervous system effects such as drowsiness and ataxia in toddlers. Because large topical doses used on animals have demonstrated similar side effects, topical use in infants and small children should be limited to small areas. Poisoning has been associated with respiratory depression, coma, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and death. Also, the 100% essential oil can be irritating to mucous membranes. Tea tree oil should not be used for treatment of ear infections; one animal study demonstrated ototoxicity with topical application to the middle ear. </p>
<p>Consumers should be aware that oil from other Melaleuca species is sometimes sold. These oils do not contain the same antimicrobial constituents and cannot be substituted for <em>Melaleuca alternifolia </em>oil. Use in pregnant or lactating women is contraindicated due to the lack of information regarding transdermal absorption.</p>
<p> <strong>Preparations </strong><strong>& </strong><strong>Doses: </strong></p>
<p>Products in published studies or reports have varied considerably in concentrations and preparations. These include 100% oil, 10% oil, 8% ointment, 5% cream, and 1 % lozenge preparations. The concentration of tea tree oil necessary to optimize antimicrobial activity while minimizing the incidence of dermal irritation is unknown. MICs for most organisms as determined <em>in vitro </em>are quite low, but interference from surfactants, as well as other organic materials that may be present in products, increases the MICs for some organisms.Products with concentrations of at least 10% may be needed to ensure that MICs are exceeded. </p>
<p><strong>Summary Evaluation: </strong></p>
<p>The <em>in vitro </em>antibacterial and antifungal activities of tea tree oil lend . ,upport to theories that skin and nail care topical products may Iln of some benefit in prevention of infections. Benefits of varying ,Iugree have been demonstrated in controlled clinical trials for the jwatment of tinea pedis and acne. Because side effects appear mild and typical dermatophyte infections are generally not seri­ous, it is not unreasonable for patients who wish to use an herbal alternative to try tea tree oil for the treatment of mild fungal skin infections. However, the existing evidence does not support this recommendation; the clinical trials have many limitations and lack consistent results. </p>
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