RIRDC Completed Projects in 2002-2003 & Research in Progress as at June 2003

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To Tea Tree Oil Completed Projects
 

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS 2002-2003RESEARCH IN PROGRESS 2002-2003
Project No.	Project Title	Researcher	Phone	Organisation
DAN-199A	Breeding and cloning tea tree for greater profitabilitty  (continuation of project DAN – 151A)	Dr Ian Southwell	02 6626 1224	NSW Agriculture
UWA-72A	Assessing the in situ efficacy of tea tree oil as a topical antiseptic	Prof T. Riley	08 9346 3690	University of Western Australia
UWA-75A	Compilation and review of published and unpublished tea tree oil literature	Prof T. Riley & Dr Christine Carson	08 9346 3690	University of Western Australia


 
 

Project Title	Breeding and cloning tea tree for greater profitability  (continuation of project DAN – 151A)
RIRDC Project No.:	DAN – 199A
Start Date:	01-Jul-01
Finish Date:	30-Jun-06
Researcher:	Dr. Ian Southwell
Organisation:	NSW Agriculture Wollongbar Agricultural Institute Bruxner Highway Wollongbar NSW 2477
Phone:	02 6626 1224
Fax:	02 6628 3264
Email:	ian.southwell@agric.nsw.gov.au
Objectives	· To improve the profitability of the tea tree industry by production and distribution of highly improved seed from a recurrent breeding strategy that ensures on-going improvement of seed quality. · To release clones selected for high oil yield and quality from parallel research on mass vegetative propagation that complements the breeding strategy.
Current Progress	Seed has been released to the industry for the sixth consecutive year. Seed made available by the tree tea breeding project is from best provenance, together with improved seed from both a seedling seed orchard and a clonal seed orchard. Yield increases of 30% from these three seed sources, should be achievable based on the 2002 progeny and yield trials. Improvements greater than this are expected from the second-generation seedling seed orchards (the SSO2 at Wollongbar and the SSO2p at West Wyalong). Plant growth and oil characteristics have been assessed in both orchards and inferior trees identified for removal. The combined data from the two orchards will be used to assess the extent of Genotype x Environment interaction. Controlled pollinations were again undertaken this year as part of a 15-tree partial diallel crossing pattern designed to assess importance of Specific Combining Ability (SCA). The crosses produced will also provide some unrelated families for further selection. Families from 8 hybrid (M. alternifolia x M. linariifolia) crosses are under assessment for their growth and oil yielding potentials in the 2002 progeny trials which include a range of controlled cross families from earlier mating studies. After extensive testing, a suite of 12 elite clones have been selected for their capacity of greater than 100% gains in yield. Clones will be fingerprinted and field tested prior to their release in 2004/5.


 
 
 
 

Project Title	Assessing the in situ efficacy of tea tree oil as a topical antiseptic
RIRDC Project No.:	UWA-72A
Start Date:	14-Jul-02
Finish Date:	14-Jul-04
Researcher:	Prof. Thomas V Riley
Organisation:	University of Western Australia School of Biomedical and Chemical Sciences Microbiology (M502) 35 Stirling Hwy CRAWLEY WA 6009
Phone:	08 9346 3690
Fax:	08 9346 2912
Email:	triley@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Objective	To examine the antimicrobial properties of tea tree oil based skin antiseptics by 3 different methods as well as an FDA approval hand wash evaluation. The study should show that the antibacterial effects demonstrated by tea tree oil are dependent on the method of assessment used. The ex- vivo method suggested is a closer approximation to the in-vivo situation and may take into account the skin penetrative properties of tea tree oil that cannot be assessed using traditional methods. A further objective is to conduct a clinical trial using a tea tree oil skin wash to reduce post- operative infections in surgical patients.
Current Progress	The evaluation of TTO’s antibacterial activity in-vitro has been completed by using 2 additional tests. Firstly, by using a European standard draft method (prEN12054) which was designed specifically to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of handwash products in suspension; ie. 55% dilution of the test handwash preparations is used. Results showed that the TTO-containing products were significantly less active against Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli when tested using this method as opposed to another suspension standard method (EN 1276) that uses undiluted TTO products.  Another surface test based on an American Standard Method: ASTM E2111.00 was also performed as it involves the use of glass surfaces instead of stainless steel (European standard method EN 13697). Generally, TTO products were more active against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli when assessed on stainless steel surfaces and more active against Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa when assessed on glass carriers.  The first results obtained with the ex-vivo method are now being processed but additional testing is required before we can give an accurate description of the results. Ethical approval has been obtained to perform a handwashing in-vivo study in the laboratory with volunteers. This method is based on a European Standard (EN 1499). The first step of this study has already been carried out. Results obtained with this study will be compared to that obtained with the ex-vivo method.


 

Project Title	Compilation and review of published and unpublished tea tree oil literature
RIRDC Project No.:	UWA-75A
Start Date:	1- Jan-2003
Finish Date:	7- Jul-2003
Researcher:	Prof. Thomas V Riley
Organisation:	University of Western Australia School of Biomedical and Chemical Sciences Microbiology (M502) 35 Stirling Hwy CRAWLEY WA 6009
Phone:	08 9346 3690
Fax:	08 9346 2912
Email:	triley@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Objectives	There are several outcomes proposed for this work. They are in order of priority: 1. A review published in a peer-reviewed journal and for RIRDC of the following for TTO: safety and toxicity, clinical efficacy. 2. An assessment and/or review of the eco-toxicology of TTO based on direct and indirect data. If sufficient data are available a review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and RIRDC report. 3. Conversion of ATTIA and industry documents into electronic form as a resource for researchers, industry participants and stakeholders 4. Written recommendation for future TTO studies. 5. Production of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) suitable for multiple importing destinations. The dearth of information on some subjects (eg. eco-toxicology) may limit the degree to which current information may be reviewed but will enhance the scope for recommending future studies
Current Progress	A draft review has been written describing the safety, toxicity and clinical efficacy of tea tree oil. After revision, this review will be submitted to a scientific journal for publication. Publications and other data pertaining to the eco-toxicology have been collected, compiled and reviewed. At this stage there are insufficient data for a full-length publishable review so these data have been summarised for inclusion in the final report for this project. A database has been compiled of published literature relating to tea tree oil and permission has been sought from publishers to include the full text of these documents in the database. Significant work has been undertaken in producing a Material Safety Data Sheet, and this is now almost complete. Draft recommendations for future studies regarding tea tree oil have been considered and will be finalised shortly.