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Copyright @ Pol J Cosmetol
Pol J Cosmetol 2017, 20(1): 67-71pl  Effect of tea tree oil on human normal and cancer skin cellsMagdalena Wyszkowska-Kolatko, Paulina Koczurkiewicz, Elżbieta Pękala Zakład Biochemii Farmaceutycznej, Wydział Farmaceutyczny, Collegium Medicum, Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie Summary Introduction. Tea tree oil (TTO) is an essential oil obtained from Melaleuca alternifolia shrub, which naturally grows in Australia and New Zealand. The healing properties of TTO are known and widely used from centuries in many skin diseases: acne vulgaris, wound healing and as antifungal agent. Many studies have proved the effectiveness of tea tree oil in dermatological diseases, but there is little data dealing with the safety of its use. Aim. The aim of the study was to investigate the cytotoxic activity of tea tree oil against human normal skin cells: fibroblasts (BJ-5ta) and melanoma malignant cancer cells (WM793). Materials and methods. Both cell lines were incubated in the presence of tea tree oil in concentration range 0,002-0,05% for 24 or 48 hours. The cytotoxic potential was determined using two tests with different mechanisms of action: trypan blue exclusion test and commercially available MTT test. Results. Result of the studies shown that the effectiveness of the TTO is dose dependent, with increasing concentration of tea tree oil the number of the living cells decreasing. More sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of TTO was BJ-5ta cell line, while WM793 cell line was less sensitive, even after longer incubation. Conclusions. Tea tree oil is valued and widely used for a long time, but in spite of its scientifically proven biological activity, there is little research on the safety of its use. New research methods are available what forces conducting further research on the safety of natural substances in the treatment of dermatological diseases. Key words: tea tree oil, cytotoxicity, cell culture, fibroblasts, melanoma malignant |