Tea tree Oil (Bao Van , University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy

Tea tree Oil

Scientific name: Melaleuca alternifolia

Common name: Melaleuca oil

Bao Van, Student pharmacist Spring 2022

Background/History

Tea tree oil comes from distilled tea tree leaves from the steam method. The tea tree grows on the swampy southeast coast of Australia. The Latin name of the tea tree oil is Melaleuca alternifolia. The aboriginal people of Australia use tea tree oil as herbal medicine and antiseptic.

Common uses

The tea oil is used externally for fungus, cuts, acne, athlete's foot, lice, nail, mite infection at the base of the eyelids, and insect bites.

Pharmacology/Mechanism of Action

The tea tree oil contains components of terpinen-4-ol and alpha-terpineol that can disrupt the structure and function integrity of the bacterial membrane.

Dosage Forms

Dosage forms are liquid, gel, spray, soap, cream, oil, and ointment.

Typical Dosing

● Decolonization of MRSA: Tea tree oil as a nasal cream (4% to 10%) applied three times a day for five days and 5% body wash for five days. ● Prevention of MRSA colonization: Body wash containing 5% tea tree oil daily. ● Acne vulgaris: 5% tea tree oil gel applied for 20 minutes twice daily, then washed off. ● Onchomycosis (fungal nail infections): 100% tea tree oil applied for six months. ● Tinea pedis (athlete's foot): 25% to 50% tea tree oil for four weeks.

Interactions

Still no well-known document of interaction with tea tree oil.

Professional Opinion

There is only a small amount of research on the use of tea tree oil for health benefits. The patient still has to take care of their health and talk with your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use. ~ B. Van

Additional Information

There are many plants known as tea trees, but only the one with species M. alternifolia is the source of tea tree essential oil. Research about the effectiveness of tea tree oil on bacteria in human oral. The participation complained about the intensive and unpleasant taste of the tea tree oil solution, yet the compliance of the subjects was not affected. The experiment was based on the percentage of plaque on the teeth that got regrowth and where the bacteria appear. The research still has some limits such as they cannot blind test the solution because participation is the one who will mix the solution to do the experiment. The result shows not a big effect of tea tree oil on plaque regrowth and on the vitality of supragingival microflora.

Safety

Tea tree oil should not be swallowed, otherwise, it can lead to serious symptoms such as confusion, loss of muscle, breathing problems, and coma. Some of the cream products can cause allergic reactions to the skin or skin irritation. Still unknown about the safety of using tea tree oil during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Adverse Effects and Toxicities

● The only adverse reaction shown is dermatitis. ● Tea tree oil becomes toxic whenever ingested orally. There are some cases of internal poisoning but no deaths were reported to the American

Association of Poison Control Centers through 2012. Ingesting internally 10-70 mL can lead to ataxia and decreasing levels of consciousness. A couple of reports on cytotoxicity but still low based on experimental data and had been evaluated in guinea pigs, and strengths of 2% or less are considered safe for use. ● Skin applied to men can cause gynecomastia.

References:

● Arweiler NB, Donos N, Netuschil L, Reich E, Sculean A. Clinical and antibacterial effect of tea tree oil - a pilot study. Clin

Oral Investig. 2000;4(2):70-3. http://umiss.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest. com/scholarly-journals/clinical-antibacterial-effect-tea-tree -oil-pilot/docview/229543898/se-2?accountid=14588. ● Tea tree oil. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tea-tree-oil. Accessed March 4, 2022. ● Tea tree oil. Uses, Interactions, Mechanism of Action |DrugBank Online. https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB11218. Accessed March 4, 2022. ● Tea Tree Oil (Natural Products Database). Lexicomp. https://online.lexi.com/lco/action/doc/retrieve/docid/fc_rn p2/3750378? cesid=47N8NvuuwcI&searchUrl=%2Flco%2 Faction%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dtea%252520tree%252520oil%26t%3Dname%26va %3Dtea%252520tree%252520oil#i nter-nested. Accessed March 4, 2022. ● https://www.subpng.com/png-n43j1j/ ● https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-100-Pure-Aust ralian-Tea-Tree-Oil-2-fl-Oz/550922073 ● https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/can-tea-tree-oil-disr upt-hormones/