Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), a
traditional herbal medicine originally used by the Aboriginal Australians
to treat bruises, insect bites, and skin infections is an effective
antiseptic. According to researchers at the Department of Research,
Lombard, USA, the oil works by activating white blood cells, the body's
first line of defence.
Rediscovered in the 1920s as a topical
antiseptic, Tea Tree oil has been found to be more effective than the
drug, Phenol, and is one of the most popular aromatherapy essential oils
used by aromatherapists and sold over the counter in the UK.
Although previous studies have demonstrated that
Tea Tree oil has antiseptic and antibacterial qualities, until now, the
effects of Tea Tree oil on human white blood cells have never been fully
investigated.
Using crude oil and the purified
"active" component, the researchers carried out specific tests
on human white blood cells monitoring changes in the cellular patterns and
activity.
The results showed that the Tea Tree oil caused
an increase in the activation of white blood cells in the blood serum. The
report concluded that one reason why Tea Tree oil appears to be such an
effective topical antiseptic is the beneficial effect it exerts activating
white blood cells.
