Plants of the<i>Melaleuca</i>Genus as Antimicrobial Agents: From Farm to Pharmacy

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  • Javad Sharifi‐Rad
    Phytochemistry Research Center Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
  • Bahare Salehi
    Young Researchers and Elites Club, North Tehran Branch Islamic Azad University Tehran Iran
  • Elena Maria Varoni
    Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences Milan State University via Beldiletto 1/3 Milan 20142 Italy
  • Farukh Sharopov
    Department of Pharmaceutical Technology Avicenna Tajik State Medical University Rudaki 139 734003 Dushanbe Tajikistan
  • Zubaida Yousaf
    Department of Botany Lahore College for Women University Jail Road Lahore Lahore Pakistan
  • Seyed Abdulmajid Ayatollahi
    Phytochemistry Research Center Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
  • Farzad Kobarfard
    Phytochemistry Research Center Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
  • Mehdi Sharifi‐Rad
    Department of Medical Parasitology Zabol University of Medical Sciences Zabol 61663‐335 Iran
  • Mohammad Hossain Afdjei
    Rehabilitation College of Iran Medical Science University Tehran Iran
  • Majid Sharifi‐Rad
    Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources University of Zabol Zabol Iran
  • Marcello Iriti
    Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Milan State University Milan Italy

Description

<jats:p>Plants belonging to<jats:italic>Melaleuca</jats:italic>genus (Myrtaceae family) are native to Oceania, where they have been used for ages by Aborigine people in Australian traditional medicine, mainly because of their broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity. Although,<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case"><jats:italic>M. linariifolia</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>,<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case"><jats:italic>M. dissitiflora</jats:italic>,</jats:styled-content>and other species of<jats:italic>Melaleuca</jats:italic>can also be used, the tea tree oil, an essential oil obtained from<jats:italic>M. alternifolia</jats:italic>shows the longest history of medicinal uses. Tea tree oil contains for the 80–90% several monoterpenes (terpinen‐4‐ol,<jats:italic>α</jats:italic>‐terpinene, 1,8‐cineol, p‐cymene,<jats:italic>α</jats:italic>‐terpineol,<jats:italic>α</jats:italic>‐pinene, terpinolene, limonene, and sabinene). Sesquiterpenes and aromatic compounds further compose this oil. The essential oil of<jats:italic>Melaleuca</jats:italic>spp. has been reported to possess effective antibacterial and antifungal properties<jats:italic>in vitro</jats:italic>. In particular, data show that 1,8‐cineol, terpinen‐4‐ol and methyl eugenol play the key role in mediating this oil's antimicrobial activity. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</jats:p>

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