An in vitro study to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of Melaleuca alternifolia against the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum

This in vitro study assessed the antifungal activity of a well-known and widely used essential oil, Melaleuca alternifolia (Australian tea tree oil), against the ubiquitous dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum. The literature has reported the antifungal properties of M. alternifolia citing the minimum inhibitory concentration needed to secure this effect. Following a study which determined that the oil was a potent antifungal and that the inverse relationship between essential oil concentration and fungal growth was not influenced by random variability (P = 0.05); the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was then determined at 0.1% (v/v). This MIC is approximately 10% lower than results from other similar studies, and could have important therapeutic significance.