Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Scientifically Proven: Tee Tree Oil has Antifungal and Antibacterial Ability



The research on Tea Tree oil has been on for several decades now.




"A paradigm shift in the treatment of infectious diseases is necessary to prevent antibiotics becoming obsolete, and where appropriate, alternatives to antibiotics ought to be considered. There are already several non-antibiotic approaches to the treatment and prevention of infection, including probiotics, phages, and phytomedicines. 
Alternative therapies are viewed favorably by many patients because they are often not being helped by conventional therapy and they believe there are fewer detrimental side effects. In addition, many report significant improvement while taking complementary and alternative medicines. Unfortunately, the medical profession has been slow to embrace these therapies, and good scientific data are still scarce.

 However, as we approach the “postantibiotic era” the situation is changing. A wealth of in vitro data now supports the long-held beliefs that TTO has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite some progress, there is still a lack of clinical evidence demonstrating efficacy against bacterial, fungal, or viral infections. Large randomized clinical trials are now required to cement a place for TTO as a topical medicinal agent."





"In general, the commercially available antiseptic TTO products showed antimicrobial activity that was equivalent to, or greater than the nonformulated TTO control. This suggests that the TTO within these products has retained its antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, the enhanced activity of the products may be attributed to other antimicrobial excipients within the products such as preservatives, or to synergistic antimicrobial interactions between the TTO and other product excipients. The observation that the commercially available antiseptic TTO products tested in this study retained adequate antimicrobial activity emphasizes the importance of considering how product bases and excipients may interact with the active compound during formulation to ensure efficacy of the final product. Finally, the current data suggest that these TTO products may also be active in vivo. However, this can only be determined through further studies and in clinical trials.

"Pseudomonas spp. are susceptible to TTO and some of its components although they are less susceptible than many other bacteria tested previously.'




'Tea tree oil has been shown to have activity against dermatophytes in vitro. We have conducted a randomized, controlled, double-blinded study to determine the efficacy and safety of 25% and 50% tea tree oil in the treatment of interdigital tinea pedis. One hundred and fifty-eight patients with tinea pedis clinically and microscopy suggestive of a dermatophyte infection were randomized to receive either placebo, 25% or 50% tea tree oil solution. Patients applied the solution twice daily to affected areas for 4 weeks and were reviewed after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. 
There was a marked clinical response seen in 68% of the 50% tea tree oil group and 72% of the 25% tea tree oil group, compared to 39% in the placebo group. Mycological cure was assessed by culture of skin scrapings taken at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment. The mycological cure rate was 64% in the 50% tea tree oil group, compared to 31% in the placebo group. Four (3.8%) patients applying tea tree oil developed moderate to severe dermatitis that improved quickly on stopping the study medication.'



Source: Pubmed

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