Tea tree oil

Identification

Generic Name

Tea tree oil

DrugBank Accession Number

DB11218

Background

Tea tree oil is an essential oil derived mainly from the Australian native plant Melaleuca alternifolia via steam distillation of the of the leaves and terminal branches ². It may be referred to as Melaleuca alternifolia oil. It has been a popular ingredient in a variety of household and cosmetic products due to its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antioxidant properties ¹. The dermatological use of tea tree oil has been investigated by various studies, where several studies have suggested the uses of this oil for the treatment of acne vulgaris, seborrheic dermatitis, and chronic gingivitis ¹. Terpene hydrocarbons and related alcohols constitute tea tree oil, with Terpinen-4-ol being the major antimicrobial component ².

Type

Biotech

Groups

Experimental, Nutraceutical

Synonyms

Australian tea tree oil
Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil
Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf water
Melaleuca alternifolia leaf oil
Melaleuca alternifolia oil
Melaleuca oil
Narrow-leaved tea-tree leaf oil
Narrow-leaved ti-tree leaf oil
Narrowleaf paperbark leaf oil
Snow-in-summer leaf oil
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil australia
Tea tree volatile oil
Ti tree oil

External IDs

FEMA NO. 3902

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Pharmacology

Indication

Indicated for topical use to help protect against infection in minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. No FDA-approved therapeutic indications.

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Pharmacodynamics

Tea tree oil exhibits antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiprotozoal activities ². It mostly mediates bactericidal actions at concentrations of 1.0% or less in most bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and causes bacteriostatic effects at lower concentrations ². Organisms such as commensal skin staphylococci and micrococci, Enterococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosaemphasized text were susceptible to tea tree oil concentrations of 2% ². It is proposed that water-soluble components of tea tree oil are capable in inducing anti-inflammatory actions; terpinen-4-ol attenuates the vasodilation and plasma extravasation associated with histamine-induced inflammation in humans ¹.

Mechanism of action

The components of tea tree oil, particularly terpinen-4-ol and α-terpineol, mediate antimicrobial actions by disrupting the structural and functional integrity of bacterial membrane. Hydrocarbons are capable of partitioning into the cell and cytoplasmic membrane of microorganisms and disrupt their vital functions, which may result in leakage of ions such as potassium, and the inhibition of respiration ². Eventually, cell lysis may occur due to weakening of the cell wall, and loss of turgor pressure and subsequent rupture of the cytoplasmic membrane ³. The loss of 260-nm-absorbing material may be indicative of a damaged cytoplasmic membrane and loss of nucleic acids ³. In E. coli, perturbed potassium homeostasis, glucose-dependent respiration, cell morphology, and ability to exclude propidium iodide was observed.

Tea tree oil also mediates its antifungal actions in a similar way, where it alters the permeability of Candida albicans and inhibits its respiration in a dose-dependent manner ². Plasma and mitochondrial membranes of fungal species are also thought to be negatively affected by inhibition of glucose-induced medium acidification by tea tree oil, which involves inhibition of membrane ATPase responsible for the expulsion of protons ². Tea tree oil also inhibits the formation of germ tubes, or mycelial conversion, in C. albicans, thereby disrupting cell morphogenesis ². Water-soluble fraction of TTO, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol, can inhibit the lipopolysaccharide-induced production of the inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10 by human peripheral monocytes by approximately 50% and that of prostaglandin E2 by about 30% after 40 h ². These components of tea tree oil may also suppress superoxide production by agonist-stimulated monocytes and decrease the production of reactive oxygen species by both stimulated neutrophils and monocytes ².

Absorption