Lavender oil could be used to combat the increasing incidence of antifungal-resistant infections, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. The essential oil shows a potent antifungal effect against strains of fungi responsible for common skin and nail infections. Scientists from the University of Coimbra in Portugal distilled lavender oil from the […]
Essential oils to fight bacterial infections
James Cook University scientists have discovered a technique to apply natural plant extracts such as Tea Tree Oil as a coating for medical devices, a process which could prevent millions of infections every year. Professor Mohan Jacob, Head of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at JCU, leads a team investigating the problem. He said an increasing […]
Essential oils from garlic and other herbs kill ‘persister’ Lyme disease bacteria
Oils from garlic and several other common herbs and medicinal plants show strong activity against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These oils may be especially useful in alleviating Lyme symptoms that persist despite standard antibiotic treatment, the study also suggests. […]
Chemicals in lavender and tea tree oil appear to be hormone disruptors
A new study lends further evidence to a suspected link between abnormal breast growth in young boys — called prepubertal gynecomastia — and regular exposure to lavender or tea tree oil, by finding that key chemicals in these common plant-derived oils act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The study results will be presented Monday at ENDO 2018, […]
Rosemary aroma can aid children’s working memory
Exposure to the aroma of rosemary essential oil can significantly enhance working memory in children. This is one the findings of a study presented today, Thursday 4 May 2017, by Dr Mark Moss and Victoria Earle of Northumbria University at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in Brighton. Dr Mark Moss said: “Our previous study […]
Chemical compound found in essential oils improves wound healing
Indiana University researchers have discovered that a chemical compound found in essential oils improves the healing process in mice when it is topically applied to a skin wound — a finding that could lead to improved treatments for skin injuries in humans. IU scientists also reported that skin tissue treated with the chemical compound, beta-carophyllene […]
Citrus Scent Inhibits Liver Cancer
As main component of essential oils, terpenes can inhibit the growth of different cancer cells. Researchers from the Ruhr-University Bochum headed by Prof Dr Dr Dr Hanns Hatt have analysed this process in liver cancer cells in detail. They shed light upon the molecular mechanisms that resulted in cancer cells stop growing, following the application […]
Efficacy Of ‘Natural’ Bed Bug Pesticides Compared
The efficacy of nine essential oil-based products and two detergents that are labeled and marketed for bed bug control were evaluated by researchers. When the researchers sprayed the 11 non-synthetic pesticides directly on bed bug nymphs, they found that only two — EcoRaider (1% geraniol, 1% cedar extract, and 2% sodium lauryl sulfate) and Bed […]