Tea Tree Oil

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS, Jan. 2006, p. 50–62 0893-8512/06/$08.00 0 doi:10.1128/CMR.19.1.50–62.2006 Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Vol. 19, No. 1

Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties
C. F. Carson,1 K. A. Hammer,1 and T. V. Riley1,2*
Discipline of Microbiology, School ofBiomedical and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Western Australia 6009,1 and Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Western Australian Centre for Pathology and Medical Research, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009,2 Australia INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................................50 COMPOSITION AND CHEMISTRY ........................................................................................................................50 PROVENANCE AND NOMENCLATURE ................................................................................................................51 COMMERCIALPRODUCTION................................................................................................................................52 Oil Extraction............................................................................................................................................................52 ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY IN VITRO................................................................................................................52 Antibacterial Activity................................................................................................................................................52 Mechanism of antibacterial action.....................................................................................................................53 AntifungalActivity ....................................................................................................................................................54 Mechanism of antifungal action .........................................................................................................................54 Antiviral Activity.......................................................................................................................................................55 Antiprotozoal Activity...............................................................................................................................................55 Antimicrobial Components ofTTO........................................................................................................................55 Resistance to TTO ....................................................................................................................................................55 CLINICAL EFFICACY.................................................................................................................................................56 ANTI-INFLAMMATORYACTIVITY.........................................................................................................................58 SAFETY AND TOXICITY ...........................................................................................................................................59 OralToxicity..............................................................................................................................................................59 Dermal Toxicity.........................................................................................................................................................59 PRODUCT FORMULATION ISSUES ......................................................................................................................59 CONCLUSIONS...