Susceptibility to Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil of yeasts isolated from the mouths of patients with advanced cancer

Jeremy Bagg*, Margaret S. Jackson, M. Petrina Sweeney, Gordon Ramage, Andrew N. Davies

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Yeasts that are resistant to azole antifungal drugs are increasingly isolated from the mouths of cancer patients suffering from oral fungal infections. Tea tree oil is an agent possessing antimicrobial properties that may prove useful in the prevention and management of infections caused by these organisms. In this study, 301 yeasts isolated from the mouths of 199 patients suffering from advanced cancer were examined by an in vitro agar dilution assay for susceptibility to tea tree oil. All of the isolates tested were susceptible, including 41 that were known to be resistant to both fluconazole and itraconazole. Clinical studies of tea tree oil as an agent for the prevention and treatment of oral fungal infections in immunocompromised patients merit consideration.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)487-492
Number of pages6
JournalOral Oncology
Volume42
Issue number5
Early online date20 Feb 2006
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2006

Keywords

  • Cancer
  • Oral infection
  • Tea tree oil
  • Yeasts

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oral Surgery
  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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