Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

The acute oral LD 50 of tea tree oil in rats is
1.9–2.6 mL/kg; similar to eucalyptus and oth-
er essential oils.^23
Case reports of overdosing from ingestion
of large amounts of undiluted tea tree oil noted
CNS toxicity. Similar effects have been re-
ported in veterinary medicine from topical
applications of large amounts of tea tree oil.^25

USES

Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.
Cajeput oil has been used in expectorant
formulations and antiseptic and pain-relieving
liniments, mouthwashes, shampoos, body
washes, deodorants, acne products, barrier
creams, lip balms, sunscreens, toothpastes,
insect repellents, veterinary products, and
others.1,25,26The oil has been used in dentistry
for relieving discomfort due to dry sockets;
also used as a fragrance component in soaps,
detergents, creams, lotions, and perfumes,
with maximum use level of 0.4% in the last
category.^27

Food. Cajeput oil is used as a flavor compo-
nent in nonalcoholic beverages, frozen dairy
desserts, candy, baked goods, meat and meat
products, condiments, and relishes. Average
maximum use level reported is very low (less
than 0.001% or 9.9 ppm).

DietarySupplements/HealthFoods. Tea tree
oil is found in numerous product forms, either

singly or with other ingredients, with a broad

range of health claims, including treatments

for fungal infections, burns, sunburn, pimples,

boils, stings, ringworm, sore throat, oral infec-

tions, bronchial congestion, lice, scabies, cuts,

abrasions, and vaginal infections (TYLER

1–3).^26

Traditional Medicine. Australian aborigines

used cajeput oil from M. cajuputi subsp.

cajuputi in treating pain. Vapors from the

crushed leaves were inhaled to treat bronchial

and nasal congestion. The same species

has been a common household remedy in

Vietnam, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia for

generations.^1 They used an infusion of the

macerated leaves ofMelaleuca to treat the

common cold, sore throat, insect bites, fungal

infections, skin wounds, and for delousing.^23

Cajuput oil has also been used to treat indolent

tumors.^28

Others. In natural disinfectants.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATION

Oil formerly officinal in U.S.P.

Regulatory Status. Approved for food use as

a natural flavoring (§172.510). The essential

oil ofM.viridiflorais the subject of a German

therapeutic monograph allowing a dose of

0.2 g or less in the treatment of catarrhs of

the upper respiratory tract (BLUMENTHAL1).

REFERENCES

See the General References forADA;ARCTANDER;FEMA;GRIEVE;GUENTHER;JIANGSU;LEWIS AND ELVIN-
LEWIS;LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER;MCGUFFIN1&2;MORTON2;ROSE;TYLER1;UPHOF;YOUNGKEN.

1. J. C. Doran, Med. Arom. Plants Ind.
   Profiles, 9 , 221 (1999).


2. I. Soutwell, Med. Arom. Plants Ind.
   Profiles, 9 , 29 (1999).


3. J. J. Brophy et al.,J. Agric. Food Chem.,
   37 , 1330 (1989).
   4. S. Shapiro et al.,Oral Microbiol. Immu-
   nol., 9 , 202 (1996).
   5. C. F. Carson et al., J. Antimicrob.
   Chemother., 35 , 421 (1995).
   6. C. F. Carson and T. V. Riley,Lett. Appl.
   Microbiol., 19 , 24 (1994).

126 Cajeput oil