Melaleuca armillaris

Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) is a native genus of Australia and has found widespread use in medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils extracted by steam distillation from Melaleuca species are mostly composed of 1,8-cineole, a-pinene, P pinene, and terpinen-4-ol, and they possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Melaleuca oil is a commercial name for oil extracted from leaves of Melaleuca armillaris Sm. with 1,8-cineole (85.8%) as main compound, followed by camphene and a-pinene as constituents also in major concentrations, but to a lower extent. This oil showed a better effect on radical scavenging in the ABTS than in the DPPH assay. Vitamin C was a reference with a higher antioxidant activity for ABTS and DPPH assays (Chabir et al., 2011). 

Chabir, N., M. Romdhane, A. Valentin et al., 2011. Chemical study and antimalarial. antioxidant and anticancer activities of Melaleuca armillaris (Sol Ex Gateau) Sm essential oil. 14(11) 1383-1388. 

Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant, which occurs in the plasma red cells and tissues, disarms the free radicals, and anticipates the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids. Also vitamin C is one of the naturally occurring antioxidants, which actually increase the efficiency of vitamin E to avoid the lipid peroxidation. SOD protects the cells of hydrogen peroxide anion free radicals, furnishes the decrease of the catalase which decomposes H2O2, thus yielding a reduction of the oxidative process. This research shows that the EO of Melaleuca armillaris, which has 1,8-cineole as the major chemical compound, can be used as a suppressor for free radicals and is able to avoid damages caused by oxidative stress generated by chemical or physical factors. 

Essential oils from the leaves of Melaleuca (M. armillaris, M. ericifolia, andM. leucaden-dron = M. cajuputi) have shown in vitro antibacterial, antifungal (C. albicans), and antiviral activities (HIV-1) in vitro potentiation of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione in er5rthrocytes and in vitro inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Both M. alternifolia leaf oil and terpinen-4-ol induced differentiation of white blood cells in vitro in human myelocytic (HL-60) cells. ... 

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