Does Current Clinical Evidence Support Reputed Traditional Usage of Eucalyptus Spp. As

Does current clinical evidence support reputed traditional usage of Eucalyptus spp. as an antimicrobial? A critical review.

Kim Walker* & Julia Green**

Keywords: Eucalyptus, anti-microbial, critical-review

Introduction & Aim:Eucalyptuspreparations are a common over-the-counter antimicrobial used originally by the Aboriginal First People of Australia and introduced to Europe in the late 19th Century. However, despite it being used successfully in some of the first antiseptic surgeries in Britain, it fell out of use due to problems sourcing it during the World Wars and later, after the discovery of antibiotics. Due to the current rise in antibiotic resistance, there is justification for re-investigating sources of plant antimicrobials, and for assessing the relevance to clinical application for Herbal Medicine practitioners (HMP). The aim of this study is toevaluate the effectiveness ofEucalyptusas an antimicrobial using published clinical trials.

Methods:Major medical databases includingPubMed, MEDLINE, AMED, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, Google Scholar and ahand search of returned study references where systematically searched up to February 2016 for clinical trials relating to the antimicrobial (viral, bacterial and fungal) properties of Eucalyptus preparations.

Results:Five papers in total were found and assessed using the JADAD quality score for Randomised Control Trials,Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) criteria and the herbal extension criteria for CONSORT.

Conclusion:Despite well-documented traditional andin-vitroevidence for the antimicrobial actions of Eucalyptus, few clinical trials have been undertaken. The studies in this paper are constrained by lack of clarity in description of intervention formulation, dosage, precise botanical naming and authentication. Some positive indications in the form of dental Randomised Clinical Trials and clinical observations provide verification of clinical application in herbal medicine. However, high-quality evidence in the form of clinically applicable RCTs is lacking, especially regards safety and adverse effects.

* University of Westminster Alumni, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Research Volunteer,

** University of Westminster, Senior Lecturer Herbal Medicine, Health Sciences and Research
Course Leader MSc Herbal Medicine