The in vitro activity of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil against dermatophytes (n = 106) and filamentous fungi (n = 78) was determined. Tea tree oil MICs for all fungi ranged from 0.004% to 0.25% and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) ranged from <0.03% to 8.0%. Time-kill experiments with 1-4 x MFC demonstrated that three of the four test organisms were still detected after 8 h of t...

In this work we highlight a possible synergistic anti-Candida effect between Melaleuca alternifolia, Origanum vulgare and Pelargonium graveolens essential oils and the antifungal compound Amphotericin B. The antifungal activity was assessed using the agar dilution method in eleven Candida strains. The results obtained indicate the occurrence of a synergistic interaction between the essential oi...

Objective Halitosis can be caused by microorganisms that produce volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs), which colonize the surface of the tongue and subgingival sites. Studies have reported that the use of natural products can reduce the bacterial load and, consequently, the development of halitosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Melaleuca ...

Tea Tree Oil for Chronic Wound Treatment Patricia Culliton, MA, LAc, is director, Integrative Health Services, Hennepin County Medical Center and graduate faculty at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Linda L. Halcón, PhD, MPH, RN, is an associate professor in the School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, and director of graduate studies at the Cent...

PURPOSE This in vitro study sought to compare the antifungal activity of melaleuca alternifolia oil and fluconazole mixed with a tissue conditioner. MATERIALS AND METHODS By testing several concentrations of fluconazole and melaleuca oil in Visco-gel, the minimum most effective concentration of each antifungal agent against Candida albicans was determined. Mean inhibition diameter (MID) was u...

AIMS To compare the bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity of 13 chemotyped essential oils (EO) on 65 bacteria with varying sensitivity to antibiotics. METHODS AND RESULTS Fifty-five bacterial strains were tested with two methods used for evaluation of antimicrobial activity (CLSI recommendations): the agar dilution method and the time-killing curve method. EO containing aldehydes (Cinnamom...