WESTPORT, June 13, 2000 (Reuters Health) - Tea tree oil, a substance extracted from the leaves of an Australian tree, is effective in killing a variety of resistant microorganisms commonly found in hospitals, British and Australian researchers report in the May 2000, issue of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. The researchers found that the two chemically different types of tea tree oil, standard and cloned, rapidly killed most organisms in less than 60 minutes.Both oils were found to be more active against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) than against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

Source:Infection (Journal); 38: 67 69.

Activity of Tea Tree Oil on Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

New methods for the control of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are required to reduce the *increasing incidence of nosocomial MRSA infections and the increasing reservoir of MRSA within the community which lead to increasing numbers of colonized patients and staff. This is further complicated by the recent emergence of S. aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (VRSA),'which will strain our resources in the near future.

Alternative approaches are thus required. Tea tree oil has been suggested as a possible topical agent with broad spectrum antibacterial properties which could fulfil this role. It has been shown to be effective against clinical isolates of MRSA both in the UK and in Australia.

Biostructural and Biomolecular Research, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, and Australian Tea Tree Oil Research Institute, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia

1607/97: received 14 July 1997 and accepted 22 October 1997

The essential oil of the tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, is a topical antimicrobial, which has been in use since early in this century (Carson and Riley 1993) by Europeans. Tea tree oil has the ability to kill a wide range of medically important micro organisms (Carson and Riley 1993, 1994; Shapiro et aL 1994; Carson etal. 1995; Belaiche etal. 1996; Hammer etal. 1996) and contains over 100 components, of which a pinene, terpinen 4 ol, linalool and a terpineol are lipophilic monoterpenes and the major active antimicrobial components of TTO (Carson and Riley 1995; Kim

etal. 199S; Ranian etal. 199S).

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