Susceptibility of pseudomonads to Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil and components.
OBJECTIVE
Thirty isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 15 isolates of Pseudomonas putida and 11 isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescens were tested for susceptibility to tea tree oil (TTO), the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, and the components terpinen-4-ol, alpha-terpineol, cineole, gamma-terpinene and rho-cymene.


METHODS
MICs were determined by broth microdilution in Mueller-Hinton medium supplemented with 0.002% (v/v) Tween 80.


RESULTS
The MIC90 of TTO for all isolates tested was 4% (v/v) or less. Susceptibility to components tested varied between species.


CONCLUSIONS
Pseudomonas spp. are susceptible to TTO and some of its components although they are less susceptible than many other bacteria tested previously.
Papadopoulos
Chelsea J
CJ
Microbiology and Immunology Discipline, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. chelsea@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Carson
Christine F
CF
Hammer
Katherine A
KA
Riley
Thomas V
TV
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000081007:Cymenes; D000077591:Eucalyptol; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D011551:Pseudomonas fluorescens / Q000187:drug effects*; D016958:Pseudomonas putida / Q000187:drug effects*; D020947:Tea Tree Oil / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D000081007:Cymenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D013729:Terpenes; C007210:4-cymene; C016775:alpha-terpineol; C018669:gamma-terpinene; C034019:terpinenol-4; D020947:Tea Tree Oil; D000077591:Eucalyptol