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7236/5/99: received 14 May 1999, revised 16 august 1999 and accepted 16 August 1999
S .D . C O X, C. M . M AN N , J .L . MA RK H AM , H . C. BE L L, J. E . G US T AF SO N , J .R . WA RM I NG TO N AN D S . G.
INTRODUCTION
M OD E O F AC TI O N O F T E A T RE E OI L 171
The tea tree oil used in all assays was from a sample (Batch
6081) donated by Main Camp, Ballina, NSW, Australia.
Viability assays
Measurement of respiration
Multilamellar lipid vesicles were prepared following the procedure of New (1990). Phospholipids (14 mg phosphatidylethanolamine, 4 mg phosphatidylglycerol and 2 mg
cardiolipin) were dissolved in chloroform in a 100-ml roundbottom flask and evaporated to dryness. Following this, the
dried phospholipid mixture was resuspended in 2 ml of
50 mmol l1 sodium phosphate buffer, pH 70, containing a
self-quenched
concentration
of
carboxyfluorescein
2000 The Society for Applied Microbiology, Journal of Applied Microbiology 88, 170175
172 S .D . C O X E T A L .
RESULTS
Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum
bactericidal/fungicidal concentrations (MBC) of tea tree
oil
The MIC and MBC of tea tree oil were 025% and 05%
(v/v), respectively, for both E. coli AG100 and Staph. aureus
NCTC 8325. MIC and MBC values for C albicans KEM H5
were a factor of two lower, at 0125% and 025% (v/v),
respectively.
Fig. 1 Effects of tea tree oil on viability of test organisms. (a) E. coli
AG 100: () no tea tree oil, and () 050% v/v tea tree oil. (b)
Staph. aureus NCTC 100: () no tea tree oil, () 025% v/v tea
tree oil, and () 050% v/v tea tree oil. (c) C. albicans KEM H6:100:
() no tea tree oil, () 0125% v/v tea tree oil, () 025% v/v
tea tree oil; and () 050% v/v tea tree oil
2000 The Society for Applied Microbiology, Journal of Applied Microbiology 88, 170175
M OD E O F AC TI O N O F T E A T RE E OI L 173
Fig. 4 Effects of 025% v/v tea tree oil on potassium ion efflux in
cell suspensions of E. coli AG100 and Staph. aureus NCTC 8325.
() E. coli, 025% v/v tea tree oil; () E. coli, no tea tree oil; ()
S. aureus, 025% v/v tea tree oil; (), Staph. aureus, no tea tree oil
AG100, Staph. aureus NCTC 8325 and C. albicans KEM H5. Cells
were exposed to 025% v/v tea tree oil for 30 min () and compared
with control flasks containing no added tea tree oil (). Error bars
represent standard deviations calculated from separate assays
(n 3)
2000 The Society for Applied Microbiology, Journal of Applied Microbiology 88, 170175
174 S .D . C O X E T A L .
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work was wholly funded by the Australian Tea Tree Oil
Research Institute (ATTORI), Lismore, New South Wales,
Australia.
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2000 The Society for Applied Microbiology, Journal of Applied Microbiology 88, 170175
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2000 The Society for Applied Microbiology, Journal of Applied Microbiology 88, 170175