Journal of Life Science (생명과학회지)

Korean Society of Life Science (한국생명과학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Bioactivity and Chemical Composition of the Essential oil of Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

티트리 에센셜오일의 생물활성 및 주요 성분 분석

  • Yang, Seun-Ah (The Center for Traditional Microorganism Resources, Keimyung University) ;
  • Jeon, Sang-Kyung (Department of Food Science and Technology, Keimyung University) ;
  • Lee, Eun-Jung (Department of Food Science and Technology, Keimyung University) ;
  • Im, Nam-Kyung (Department of Food Science and Technology, Keimyung University) ;
  • Jung, Ji-Young (MENTech Co., Ltd.) ;
  • Lee, In-Seon (Department of Food Science and Technology, Keimyung University)
  • Published : 2008.12.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The essential oil of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is widely used in traditional Australian medicine for skin lesions and infected injuries. In the present study, we investigated the chemical composition, cytotoxicity and its biological activities. The composition of the oil was analyzed by GC-MS. ${\beta}$-Terpinene (20.87%), ${\alpha}$-pinene (17.60%), p-cymene (11.23%), 3-carene (10.40%), trans-anethole (8.47%) and limonene (4.65%) were the major components in the oil. The results tested by MTT assay indicated that the oil showed no cytotoxic effect, at concentrations up to 5%, for less than 3h. The antiradical capacity was evaluated by measuring the scavenging activity of the essential oil on the 2,20-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis 3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals. The oil was able to reduce the both radicals dose-dependently, and the concentration required for 50% reduction ($RC_{50}$) against ABTS radicals ($1.6{\pm}0.02%$) was slightly lower than DPPH radicals ($2.6{\pm}0.29%$). The direct contact and vapor-phase antibacterial activity of the oil were also evaluated using disc diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Listeria monocytogenes, Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. All the Gram-negative bacterial strains tested showed more sensibility to the oil than the Gram-positive strains when compare to the effect of gentamycin. On the other hand, the vapor phase of the essential oil against S. aureus exhibited strongest inhibitory effect.

티트리 에센셜 오일은 호주 원주민들의 전통적인 피부 소독제나 치료제로 널리 사용되어 왔으며, 항균효과와 주요성분 등 많은 보고가 있으나 추출 방법이나 사용 부위 등에 따라 효능의 차이를 보인다. 본 연구에서는 아로마테라피 등에 현재 많이 이용되고 있는 시판 티트리 오일의 성분과 효능을 평가하여, 다른 에센셜 오일과의 비교 이용을 용이하게 하고자 하였다. 티트리 오일의 주요성분은 GC-MS 분석에 의하여 ${\beta}$-terpinene (20.87%), ${\alpha}$-pinene (17.60%), p-cymene (11.23%), 3-carene (10.40%), trans-anethole (8.47%), limonene (4.65%)으로 밝혀졌으며, 5% 이하의 농도에서 3시간 미만까지는 피부세포에 독성이 없었다. 오일의 라디컬 소거능을 알아본 결과, DPPH와 ABTS의 양라디컬에 대하여 강한 소거능을 나타내어 강한 항산화능을 시사했다. 또한, 오일의 direct contact와 vapor-phase의 항균활성을 disc diffusion법으로 스크리닝 한 결과, direct contact 활성의 경우 그람음성균에 대하여 높은 활성을 나타내었으며, vapor는 S. aureus에 대하여 강한 효과를 나타내었다. 본 연구에서 실제 많이 사용되는 티트리 오일의 성분과 생물활성을 측정함으로써 허브 오일들의 정확한 선택과 활용을 위한 기본적인 결과를 얻었다.

Keywords

References

  1. Brophy, J. L. N. W. Davies, I. A. Soulthwell, I. A. Stiff and L. R. Williams. 1989. Gas chromatographic quality control for oil of Melaleuca terpinene-4-01 type (Australian tea tree). J. Agric. Food Chem. 37, 1330-1335 https://doi.org/10.1021/jf00089a027
  2. Carson, C. F., B. D. Cookson, H. D. Farrelly and T. V. Riley. 1995. Susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus to the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 35, 421-424 https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/35.3.421
  3. Carson, C. F. and T. V. Riley. 1995. Antimicrobial activity of the major components of the essential oils of Melaleuca alternifolia. J. App. Bact. 78, 264-269 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.1995.tb05025.x
  4. Carson, C. F., K. A. Hammer and T. V. Riley. 2006. Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) oil: a review of antimicrobial and other medicinal properties. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 19, 50-62 https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.19.1.50-62.2006
  5. Cox, S. D., C. M. Mann, J. L. Markham, H. C. BelL J. E. Gustafson, J. R. Warmington and S. G. Wyllie. 2000. The mode of antimicrobial action of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil). J. Appl. Microbiol. 88, 170-175 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2672.2000.00943.x
  6. Evandri, M. G., L. Battinelli, C. Daniele, S. Mastrangelo, P. Bolle and G. Mazzanti. 2005. The antimutagenic activity of Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) essential oil in the bacterial reverse mutation assay. Food Chem. Toxicol. 43, 1381-1387 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2005.03.013
  7. Halcon, L. and K. Milkus. 2004. Staphylococcus aureus and wounds: a review of tea tree oil as a promising antimicrobial. Am. J. Infect Control 32, 402-408 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2003.12.008
  8. Harkenthal, M., J. Reichling, H. K. Geiss and R Saller. 1999. Comparative study on the in vitro antibacterial activity of Australian tea tree oiL cajuput oiL niaouli oiL manuka oil, kanuka oil, and eucalyptus oil. Pharmazie. 54, 460-463
  9. Jones, M. R, E. J. Julia and R. Victor. 1992. Steam distillation of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil. J. Sci. Food Agric. 58, 49-53 https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740580109
  10. Kim, H. J. F. Chen, C. Wu, X. Wang, H. Y. Chung and Z. Jin. 2004. Evaluation of antioxidant activity of Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil and its components. J. Agric. Food Chem. 52, 2849-2854 https://doi.org/10.1021/jf035377d
  11. Lis-Bakhin, M., S. L. Hart and S. G. Deans. 2000. Pharmacological and antimicrobial studies on different tea-tree oils (Melaleuca alternifolia, Leptospermum scoparium or Manuka and Kunzea ericoides or Kanuka), originating in Australia and New Zealand. Phytother. Res. 14, 623-629 https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1573(200012)14:8<623::AID-PTR763>3.0.CO;2-Z
  12. Loughlin, R, B. F. Gilmore, P. A. McCarron and M. M. Tunney. 2008. Comparison of the cidal activity of tea tree oil and terpinen-4-01 against clinical bacterial skin isolates and human fibroblast cells. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 46, 428-433 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2008.02334.x
  13. Moreno, M. I., M. I. Isla, A. R. Sampietro and M. A. Vattuone. 2000. Comparison of the free radical-scavenging activity of propolis from several regions of Argentina. J. Ethnophamacol. 71, 109-114 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(99)00189-0
  14. Mori, M., N. Ikeda, Y. Kato, M. Minamino and K. Watabe. 2002. Quality evaluation of essential oils. Yakugaku Zasshi 122, 253-261 https://doi.org/10.1248/yakushi.122.253
  15. Park, H., C. H. Jan, Y. B. Cho and C. H. Choi. 2007. Antibacterial effect of tea-tree oil on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation of the tympanostomy tube: an in vitro study. In Vivo 21, 1027-1030
  16. Re, R, N. Pellegrini, A. Proteggente, A. Pannala, M. Yang and C. Rice-Evans. 1999. Antioxidant activity applying an improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay. Free Radic. BioI. Med. 26, 1231-1237 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0891-5849(98)00315-3
  17. Russell, M. and I. Southwell. 2002. Monoterpenoid accumulation in Melaleuca alternifolia seedlings. Phytochemistry 59, 709-716 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(02)00038-9
  18. Russell, M. F. and I. A. Southwell. 2003. Monoterpenoid accumulation in 1,8-cineole, terpinolene and terpinen-4-ol chemotypes of Melaleuca alternifolia seedlings. Phytochemistry 62, 683-689 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(02)00607-6
  19. Shabir, G. A. 2005. Method development and validation for the GC-FID assay of p-cymene in tea tree oil formulation. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 39, 681-684 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2005.03.036
  20. Sherry, E., H. Boeck and P. H. Warnke. 2001. Percutaneous treatment of chronic MRSA osteomyelitis with a novel plant-derived antiseptic. BMC Surg. 1, 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2482-1-1
  21. Soderberg, T. A, A. Johansson and R. Gref. 1996. Toxic effects of some conifer resin acids and tea tree oil on human epithelial and fibroblast cells. Toxicology 107, 99-109 https://doi.org/10.1016/0300-483X(95)03242-8
  22. Southwell, I. A. 1988. Australian tea tree oil of Melaleuca terpinene-4-o1 type. Chem. Aust. 55, 400-402
  23. Tong, M. M., P. M. Altman and R S. Barnetson. 1992. Tea tree oil in the treatment of tinea pedis. Australas. J. Dermatol. 33, 145-149 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-0960.1992.tb00103.x
  24. Traub, W. H. and B. Leonhard. 1997. Susceptibility of Moraxella catarrhalis to 21 antimicrobial drugs: validity of current NCCLS criteria for the interpretation of agar disk diffusion antibiograms. Chemotherapy 43, 159-167 https://doi.org/10.1159/000239552
  25. van de Loosdrecht, A. A., E. Nennie, G. J. Ossenkoppele, R. H. Beelen and M. M. Langenhuijsen. 1991. Cell mediated cytotoxicity against U 937 cells by human monocytes and macrophages in a modified colorimetric MTT assay. A methodological study. J. Immunol. Methods 141, 15-22 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1759(91)90205-T

Cited by

  1. Effects of Inhaling Essential Oils from Lavender, Silver Fir, Grapefruit on the Restraint Stress in Mice vol.20, pp.8, 2010, https://doi.org/10.5352/JLS.2010.20.8.1230
  2. Enhancement of the Cosmeceutical Activity by Nano-encapsulation of Thiamine Di-lauryl Sulfate (TDS) with antimicrobial efficacy vol.39, pp.3, 2013, https://doi.org/10.15230/SCSK.2013.39.3.205