Tea tree oil

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Origin of this essential oil, the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia Melaleuca alternifolia (Maria Serena).jpg
Origin of this essential oil, the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia
Tea tree plantation, Coraki, New South Wales Tea tree plantation.JPG
Tea tree plantation, Coraki, New South Wales

Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil, is an essential oil with a fresh, camphoraceous odor and a colour that ranges from pale yellow to nearly colourless and clear. [1] [2] It is derived from the leaves of the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia , native to southeast Queensland and the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. The oil comprises many constituent chemicals, and its composition changes if it is exposed to air and oxidizes. Commercial use of tea tree oil began in the 1920s, pioneered by the entrepreneur Arthur Penfold.

Contents

There is little evidence for the effectiveness of tea tree oil in treating mite-infected crusting of eyelids, [3] although some claims of efficacy exist. [4] [5] In traditional medicine, it may be applied topically in low concentrations for skin diseases, although there is little evidence for efficacy. [2] [6] [7] [8]

Tea tree oil is neither a patented product nor an approved drug in the United States, although it has been used in skin care products [2] [8] and is approved as a complementary medicine for aromatherapy in Australia. [9] It is poisonous if consumed by mouth and is unsafe for children. [10]

Uses

Although tea tree oil is claimed to be useful for treating dandruff, acne, lice, herpes, insect bites, scabies, and skin fungal or bacterial infections, [8] [11] insufficient evidence exists to support any of these claims due to the limited quality of research. [2] [7] [12] A 2015 Cochrane review of acne complementary therapies found a single low-quality trial showing benefit on skin lesions compared to placebo. [13] Tea tree oil was also used during World War II to treat skin lesions of munitions factory workers. [2]

According to the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency, traditional usage suggests that tea tree oil is a possible treatment for "small, superficial wounds, insect bites, and small boils" and that it may reduce itching in minor cases of athlete's foot. The CHMP states that tea tree oil products should not be used on people under 12 years of age. [14]

Tea tree oil is not recommended for treating nail fungus because it is yet to be proven effective, [15] It is not recommended for treating head lice in children because its effectiveness and safety have not been established and it could cause skin irritation or allergic reactions. [16] [17] As of 2020, there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of 5-50% tea tree oil as an effective treatment for demodex mite infestations, although products claiming efficacy exist. [18]

Toxicity

Tea tree oil is highly toxic when ingested orally. [2] [7] [19] [12] It may cause drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, coma, unsteadiness, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, blood-cell abnormalities, and severe rashes. It should be kept away from pets and children. [12] It should not be used in or around the mouth. [2] [7] [10]

Application of tea tree oil to the skin can cause an allergic reaction in some, [2] the potential for which increases as the oil ages and its chemical composition changes. [20] Adverse effects include skin irritation, allergic contact dermatitis, systemic contact dermatitis, linear immunoglobulin A disease, erythema multiforme-like reactions, and systemic hypersensitivity reactions. [11] [21] Allergic reactions may be due to the various oxidation products that are formed by exposure of the oil to light and air. [21] [22] Consequently, oxidized tea tree oil should not be used. [23]

In Australia, tea tree oil is one of the many essential oils causing poisoning, mostly of children. From 2014 to 2018, 749 cases were reported in New South Wales, accounting for 17% of essential oil poisoning incidents. [24]

Hormonal effects

Tea tree oil potentially poses a risk for causing abnormal breast enlargement in men [25] [26] and prepubertal children. [27] [28] A 2018 study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found four of the constituent chemicals (eucalyptol, 4-terpineol, dipentene, and alpha-terpineol) are endocrine disruptors, raising concerns of potential environmental health impacts from the oil. [29]

In animals

In dogs and cats, death [30] [31] or transient signs of toxicity (lasting two to three days), such as lethargy, weakness, incoordination, and muscle tremors, have been reported after external application at high doses. [32]

As a test of toxicity by oral intake, the median lethal dose (LD50) in rats is 1.9–2.4 ml/kg. [33]

Composition and characteristics

Tea tree oil composition,
as per ISO 4730 (2017) [1]
ComponentConcentration
terpinen-4-ol 35.0–48.0%
γ-terpinene 14–28%
α-terpinene 6.0–12.0%
1,8-cineole traces–10.0%
terpinolene 1.5–5.0%
α-terpineol 2.0–5.0%
α-pinene 1.0–4.0%
p-cymene 0.5–8.0%
sabinene traces–3.5%
limonene 0.5–1.5%
aromadendrene 0.2–3.0%
ledene 0.1–3.0%
globulol traces–1.0%
viridiflorol traces–1.0%

Tea tree oil is defined by the International Standard ISO 4730 ("Oil of Melaleuca, terpinen-4-ol type"), containing terpinen-4-ol, γ-terpinene, and α-terpinene as about 70% to 90% of whole oil, while p-cymene, terpinolene, α-terpineol, and α-pinene collectively account for some 15% of the oil (table). [1] [6] [8] The oil has been described as colorless to pale yellow [1] [2] having a fresh, camphor-like smell. [34]

Tea tree oil products contain various phytochemicals, among which terpinen-4-ol is the major component. [1] [2] [6] Adverse reactions diminish with lower eucalyptol content. [11]

History and extraction

The name "tea tree" is used for several plants, mostly from Australia and New Zealand, from the family Myrtaceae related to the myrtle. The use of the name probably originated from Captain James Cook's description of one of these shrubs that he used to make an infusion to drink in place of tea. [35]

The commercial tea tree oil industry originated in the 1920s when Australian chemist Arthur Penfold investigated the business potential of a number of native extracted oils; he reported that tea tree oil had promise, as it exhibited antiseptic properties. [33]

Tea tree oil was first extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia in Australia, and this species remains the most important commercially. In the 1970s and 1980s, commercial plantations began to produce large quantities of tea tree oil from M. alternifolia. Many of these plantations are located in New South Wales. [33] Since the 1970s and 80s, the industry has expanded to include several other species for their extracted oil: Melaleuca armillaris and Melaleuca styphelioides in Tunisia and Egypt; Melaleuca leucadendra in Egypt, Malaysia, and Vietnam; Melaleuca acuminata in Tunisia; Melaleuca ericifolia in Egypt; and Melaleuca quinquenervia in the United States (considered an invasive species in Florida [36] ).

Similar oils can also be produced by water distillation from Melaleuca linariifolia and Melaleuca dissitiflora . [37] Whereas the availability and nonproprietary nature of tea tree oil would make it – if proved effective – particularly well-suited to a disease such as scabies that affects poor people disproportionately, those same characteristics diminish corporate interest in its development and validation. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scabies</span> Human disease

Scabies is a contagious human skin infestation by the tiny (0.2–0.45 mm) mite Sarcoptes scabiei, variety hominis. The word is from Latin: scabere, lit. 'to scratch'. The most common symptoms are severe itchiness and a pimple-like rash. Occasionally, tiny burrows may appear on the skin. In a first-ever infection, the infected person usually develops symptoms within two to six weeks. During a second infection, symptoms may begin within 24 hours. These symptoms can be present across most of the body or just certain areas such as the wrists, between fingers, or along the waistline. The head may be affected, but this is typically only in young children. The itch is often worse at night. Scratching may cause skin breakdown and an additional bacterial infection in the skin.

<i>Melaleuca</i> Genus of plants in the Myrtle family

Melaleuca is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles, bottlebrushes or tea-trees. They range in size from small shrubs that rarely grow to more than 16 m (52 ft) high, to trees up to 35 m (115 ft). Their flowers generally occur in groups, forming a "head" or "spike" resembling a brush used for cleaning bottles, containing up to 80 individual flowers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essential oil</span> Hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants

An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An essential oil is essential in the sense that it contains the essence of the plant's fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. The term "essential" used here does not mean indispensable or usable by the human body, as with the terms essential amino acid or essential fatty acid, which are so called because they are nutritionally required by a living organism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lavender oil</span> Essential oil distilled from lavender flower spikes

Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. There are over 400 types of lavender worldwide with different scents and qualities. Two forms of lavender oil are distinguished, lavender flower oil, a colorless oil, insoluble in water, having a density of 0.885 g/mL; and lavender spike oil, a distillate from the herb Lavandula latifolia, having a density of 0.905 g/mL. Like all essential oils, it is not a pure compound; it is a complex mixture of phytochemicals, including linalool and linalyl acetate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Permethrin</span> Medication and insecticide

Permethrin is a medication and an insecticide. As a medication, it is used to treat scabies and lice. It is applied to the skin as a cream or lotion. As an insecticide, it can be sprayed onto outer clothing or mosquito nets to kill the insects that touch them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mange</span> Type of skin disease caused by parasitic mites

Mange is a type of skin disease caused by parasitic mites. Because various species of mites also infect plants, birds and reptiles, the term "mange", or colloquially "the mange", suggesting poor condition of the skin and fur due to the infection, is sometimes reserved for pathological mite-infestation of nonhuman mammals. Thus, mange includes mite-associated skin disease in domestic mammals, in livestock, and in wild mammals. Severe mange caused by mites has been observed in wild bears. Since mites belong to the arachnid subclass Acari, another term for mite infestation is acariasis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citronella oil</span> Fragrant essential oil derived from lemongrass

Citronella oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of Cymbopogon (lemongrass). The oil is used extensively as a source of perfumery chemicals such as citronellal, citronellol, and geraniol. These chemicals find extensive use in soap, candles and incense, perfumery, cosmetic, and flavouring industries throughout the world.

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Demodex is a genus of tiny mites that live in or near hair follicles of mammals. Around 65 species of Demodex are known. Two species live on humans: Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis, both frequently referred to as eyelash mites, alternatively face mites or skin mites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insect repellent</span> Substance which repels insects

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cajeput tree</span> Common name for several species of tree

Cajeput tree is a common name used for a certain classification of tree that has a white spongy bark that is flexible and can easily flake off the trunk. The cajeput tree is of the genus Melaleuca, native to Australia and is commonly known in North America as the tea tree. The name 'cajeput tree' is primarily used for the species M. cajuputi, M. leucadendra, M. linariifolia, M. viridiflora and M. quinquenervia. Other names for these trees are the paperbark tree, punk tree, or the white bottlebrush tree. Similar subtropical trees from the eucalyptus family are evergreens with pointed leaves and white, red or green flowers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cajeput oil</span> Chemical compound

Cajuput oil is a volatile oil obtained by distillation from the leaves of the myrtaceous trees Melaleuca leucadendra, Melaleuca cajuputi, and probably other Melaleuca species. The trees yielding the oil are found throughout Maritime Southeast Asia and over the hotter parts of the Australian continent. The majority of the oil is produced on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The name "cajeput" is derived from its Malay name, kayu putih or "white wood".

<i>Backhousia citriodora</i> Species of tree

Backhousia citriodora, commonly known as lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle or lemon scented ironwood, is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensland, Australia, with a natural distribution from Mackay to Brisbane.

α-Pinene Chemical compound

α-Pinene is an organic compound of the terpene class. It is one of the two isomers of pinene, the other being β-pinene. An alkene, it contains a reactive four-membered ring. It is found in the oils of many species of coniferous trees, notably the Pinus and Picea species. It is also found in the essential oil of rosemary and Satureja myrtifolia. Both enantiomers are known in nature; (1S,5S)- or (−)-α-pinene is more common in European pines, whereas the (1R,5R)- or (+)-α-isomer is more common in North America. The enantiomers' racemic mixture is present in some oils such as eucalyptus oil and orange peel oil.

<i>Melaleuca alternifolia</i> Species of tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae

Melaleuca alternifolia, commonly known as tea tree, is a species of tree or tall shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Endemic to Australia, it occurs in southeast Queensland and the north coast and adjacent ranges of New South Wales where it grows along streams and on swampy flats, and is often the dominant species where it occurs.

Terpinen-4-ol is an isomer of terpineol with the chemical formula C10H18O. A primary constituent of tea tree oil, it is obtained as an extract from the leaves, branches, and bark of Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel. Despite considerable basic and preliminary clinical research of terpinen-4-ol and tea tree oil, its biological properties and potential for clinical uses have not been established as of 2019. It may be a factor in the contact dermatitis of tea tree oil when used topically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat health</span> Health of domestic cats

The health of domestic cats is a well studied area in veterinary medicine.

<i>Melaleuca dissitiflora</i> Species of plant

Melaleuca dissitiflora, commonly known as creek tea–tree, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is native to Australia. It occurs in the drier parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. It grows in places like sandy creek beds and rocky gorges but it may have potential as a more productive source of "tea tree" oil than the usual Melaleuca alternifolia. It is closely related and very similar to Melaleuca linophylla with its papery bark, narrow leaves and loose spikes of creamy-white flowers but its flowers are larger, the stamens are longer and there are more stamens per bundle than in that species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aromatherapy</span> Alternative medicine practice

Aromatherapy is a practice based on the use of aromatic materials, including essential oils and other aroma compounds, with claims for improving psychological well-being. It is used as a complementary therapy or as a form of alternative medicine, and typically is used via inhalation and not by ingestion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viridiflorol</span> Chemical compound

Viridiflorol is a chemical compound, classified as a sesquiterpenoid, that has been isolated from the essential oils of a variety of plants including Melaleuca quinquenervia, Melaleuca alternifolia, and Allophylus edulis.

References

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