Thursday, June 11, 2009

More anti-MRSA essential oil research

Just came across a prerelease publication on PubMed of an article proving that specific essential oils are effective against hospital acquired infections, including MRSA. Strains of staph, strep and Candida were tested.

Eucalyptus, Tea tree, Thyme white, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Cinnamon, Grapefruit, Clove Bud, Sandalwood, Peppermint, Kunzea and Sage oil were all tested with the agar diffusion test. Olive oil, Paraffin oil, Ethanol (70%), Povidone iodine, Chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) served as controls.

"Large prevailing effective zones of inhibition were observed for Thyme white, Lemon, Lemongrass and Cinnamon oil. The other oils also showed considerable efficacy. Remarkably, almost all tested oils demonstrated efficacy against hospital-acquired isolates and reference strains, whereas Olive and Paraffin oil from the control group produced no inhibition. As proven in vitro, essential oils represent a cheap and effective antiseptic topical treatment option even for antibiotic-resistant strains as MRSA and antimycotic-resistant Candida species."

Of course they don't give the chemotype of Thyme, nor which Cinnamon oil was used, but once again, Essential oils are proven as effective as the more conventional prescription medications.

Citation from the Journal of Craniomaxilofacial Surgery, 2009 May 25

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