The Essential Oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree Oil) and Its Main Component, Terpinen-4-ol Protect Mice from Experimental Oral Candidiasis

The therapeutic efficacy of tea tree oil (TTO), Melaleuca alternifolia, and its main component, terpinen-4-ol, were evaluated in a murine oral candidiasis model. Prednisolone -pretreated mice were orally infected with a fluconazole-susceptible (TIMM 2640) or a resistant (TIMM 3163) strain of Candida...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin 2012/06/01, Vol.35(6), pp.861-865
Main Authors: Ninomiya, Kentaro, Maruyama, Naho, Inoue, Shigeharu, Ishibashi, Hiroko, Takizawa, Toshio, Oshima, Haruyuki, Abe, Shigeru
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal models
Animals
Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use
Azoles
Candida albicans
Candidiasis
Candidiasis, Oral - drug therapy
Candidiasis, Oral - pathology
Cell number
Cotton
Disease Models, Animal
Drug Resistance, Fungal
essential oil
Essential oils
Female
fluconazole
Infection
Melaleuca
Melaleuca alternifolia
Mice
Mice, Inbred ICR
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Mucosa
Oral cavity
Prednisolone
Tea
Tea Tree Oil - therapeutic use
Terpenes - therapeutic use
Terpinene
Trees
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The therapeutic efficacy of tea tree oil (TTO), Melaleuca alternifolia, and its main component, terpinen-4-ol, were evaluated in a murine oral candidiasis model. Prednisolone -pretreated mice were orally infected with a fluconazole-susceptible (TIMM 2640) or a resistant (TIMM 3163) strain of Candida albicans to induce oral candidiasis. TTO or terpinen-4-ol was administrated with a cotton swab 3 h and 24 h after candida infection. These treatments clearly showed a decrease in the symptom score of tongues and in the viable candida cell number in the oral cavity at 2 d after azole-susceptible C. albicans infection, although the degree of the efficacy was less than that of fluconazole. Even against oral candidiasis caused by azole-resistant C. albicans, TTO and terpinen-4-ol were similarly effective, while fluconazole appeared ineffective. These results suggest that TTO and terpinen-4-ol may have the potential of therapeutic ability for mucosal candidiasis which may also be applicable to C. albicans oral candidiasis induced by the azole-resistant strain.
ISSN:0918-6158
1347-5215
DOI:10.1248/bpb.35.861