Oil derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia plant, also known as the tea tree, have been used by traditional, alternative and conventional healers in external applications to treat skin infection. Both in vitro laboratory experiments and tests involving human subjects have evaluated the effectiveness of this compound for its effectiveness in battling infestation by harmful microbes. Tea tree oil has been proposed as solution to yeast infections and as a topical treatment for bacterial skin infections, though the evidence to support such use is often inconclusive.
The Tea Tree
In Australia, the evergreen tree known as Melaleuca alternifolia has a history of use by native Aborigines, World War I soldiers, and surgeons practicing as far back as the 1920s. The first use of the plant was as a poultice for cuts and abrasions, and then use extended to the treatment of skin infections and as a post-surgical antiseptic. Manufacturers of cleansing products and cosmetics have jumped on the tea tree bandwagon in the last 20 years, adding this antiseptic oil to soaps, mouthwashes, shampoos and moisturizing lotions.
Antibacterial Effects
Tea tree oil has been shown to inhibit the activity of bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and may help provide a solution to one of the greatest problems faced by modern medical institutions today. The development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, has been the bane of many hospitals, forcing already ill patients to face the additional challenge of fighting off a hard to eradicate pathogen. According to the journal "Clinical Microbiology Reviews," MRSA is just as susceptible to the antibacterial effects of tea tree oil as non-antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens are.
Tea Tree Oil and Yeast Infections
Yeast infection, which is caused by an overgrowth of a yeast-like fungus known as Candida albicans, can affect the mouth and vagina and is sometimes referred to as "thrush." Tea tree oil has been proposed as a treatment for yeast infections, largely due to the antifungal activity it has exhibited in laboratory tests. According to Clinical Microbiology Reviews," tea tree oil makes Candida cells more permeable by altering cell membranes -- the same structures affected by traditional antibiotics. It also appears that microbes such as Candida albicans do not develop resistance to tea tree oil, making the use of this product helpful in the treatment of persistent infections. According to CoxHealth, a diluted tea tree oil mouthwash was found to be effective in decreasing oral thrush in HIV patients.
Caution
Tea tree oil is for external use only and should not be ingested. Taken internally, it can cause toxic effects such as vomiting, confusion and coma. Some people have an immune sensitivity to tea tree oil and may experience an allergic reaction to products containing it.
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