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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. Source : Biological
activity of Melaleuca alternifola (Tea Tree) oil component,
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