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JAC Advance Access originally published online on October 28, 2006
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2007 59(1):125-127; doi:10.1093/jac/dkl443
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Habituation to sub-lethal concentrations of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) is associated with reduced susceptibility to antibiotics in human pathogens

M. Ann S. McMahon1,*, Ian S. Blair1, John E. Moore2 and David A. McDowell1

1 Food Microbiology Research Group, University of Ulster Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland BT37 OQB, UK 2 Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital Northern Ireland BT9 7AD, UK

Received 31 August 2006; returned 4 October 2006; revised 5 October 2006; accepted 6 October 2006

*Corresponding author. Tel: +44-2890-368659; Fax: +44-2890-368419; E-mail: ma.mcmahon{at}ulster.ac.uk

Objectives: To investigate the effect of sub-lethal challenge with tea tree oil (TTO) on the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of significant human pathogens and commensals.

Methods: The study compared the antibiotic susceptibility (Etest) patterns of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus/methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Salmonella spp. after broth culture for 72 h in the presence or absence of sub-lethal concentrations of TTO (0.25%, 0.25% and 0.1%).

Results: All habituated cultures (exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of TTO) displayed reduced susceptibility to a range of clinically relevant antibiotics compared with non-habituated (control) cultures.

Conclusions: Although TTO may be an effective antimicrobial agent when appropriately used at bactericidal concentrations, its application at sub-lethal concentrations may contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens.

Keywords: antibiotic susceptibility profiles , MRSA , antibacterial agents


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