Cajuput oil (also spelled ''cajeput'') is a

volatile oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

obtained by distillation from the leaves of the

myrtaceous Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

trees ''

Melaleuca leucadendra ''Melaleuca leucadendra'', commonly known as weeping paperbark, long-leaved paperbark or white paperbark is a species of woody plant in the Myrtus, myrtle Family (biology), family Myrtaceae, and is widespread in northern Australia, New Guinea an ...

'', '' Melaleuca cajuputi'', and probably other ''

Melaleuca ''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles, bottlebrushes or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They ...

'' species. The trees yielding the oil are found throughout

Maritime Southeast Asia Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the Southeast Asian countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. The terms Island Southeast Asia and Insular Southeast Asia are sometimes given the same meaning as ...

and over the hotter parts of the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n continent. The majority of the oil is produced on the Indonesian island of

Sulawesi Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the List of islands by area, world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Min ...

. The name "cajeput" is derived from its Malay name, or "white wood".Definition of "cajuput" by Oxford Dictionary
on Lexico.com

Production and uses

The oil is prepared from cajeput leaves and twigs macerated in water, and steam distilled after fermenting for a night. The resulting oil is extremely pungent, flammable, and has the odor of a mixture of

turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthine, terebenthene, terebinthine and, colloquially, turps) is a fluid obtainable by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Principall ...

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

and

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (''Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the kapu ...

. It consists mainly of

cineol Eucalyptol (also called cineole) is a monoterpenoid colorless liquid, and a bicyclic ether. It has a fresh camphor-like odor and a spicy, cooling taste. It is insoluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Eucalyptol makes up about 70� ...

(see

terpene Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n ≥ 2. Terpenes are major biosynthetic building blocks. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predomi ...

s), from which cajuputene, having a

hyacinth ''Hyacinthus'' is a genus of bulbous herbs, and spring-blooming Perennial plant, perennials. They are fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae and are commonly called hyacinths (). The genus is native predomin ...

-like odor, can be obtained by distillation with

phosphorus pentoxide Phosphorus pentoxide is a chemical compound with molecular formula Phosphorus, P4Oxygen, O10 (with its common name derived from its empirical formula, P2O5). This white crystalline solid is the anhydride of phosphoric acid. It is a powerful desic ...

. It is a typical volatile oil, and is used internally in doses of 2 to 3 minims, for the same purposes as

clove oil Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, ...

Topical uses

If successful, pain management using cajeput oil may work by causing surface warmth and irritation through the help of a chemical called

cineole Eucalyptol (also called cineole) is a monoterpenoid colorless liquid, and a bicyclic ether. It has a fresh camphor-like odor and a spicy, cooling taste. It is insoluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Eucalyptol makes up about ...

, which is employed topically as a

counterirritant A counterirritant is a substance which creates irritation or mild inflammation in one location with the goal of lessening discomfort and/or inflammation in another location. This strategy falls into the more general category of counterstimulatio ...

. It is an ingredient in some liniments for sore muscles, such as

Tiger Balm Tiger Balm () is an analgesic heat rub manufactured and distributed by Singaporean company Haw Par Corporation, Haw Par Healthcare. It is used for external pain relief. History A precursor to Tiger Balm called Ban Kin Yu ( zh, t=萬金油, ...

. It is also used as an ingredient in inhalants or decongestants and topical pain remedies. With regard to direct application, cajeput oil can be applied to large areas of skin (after completing a

patch test A patch test is a diagnostic method used to determine which specific substances cause allergic inflammation of a patient's skin. Patch testing helps identify which substances may be causing a delayed-type allergic reaction in a patient and ...

), minor wounds, scratches, and rashes.

Potential side effects

Like other essential oils, cajeput oil may cause skin rashes, redness, irritation, burning, and

hives Hives, also known as urticaria, is a kind of skin rash with red or flesh-colored, raised, itchy bumps. Hives may burn or sting. The patches of rash may appear on different body parts, with variable duration from minutes to days, and typically ...

when applied directly to the skin in its pure form.

For fish

Cajeput is used for the treatment of bacterial or fungal infections in fish. Common brand names containing Cajeput are Melafix, Pimafix and Bettafix. Melafix is a stronger concentration and Bettafix is a lower concentration that makes it harder to overdose smaller fish, especially

betta ''Betta'' is a large genus of small, active, often colorful, freshwater ray-finned fishes, in the gourami family (biology), family (Osphronemidae). The best known ''Betta'' species is ''B. splendens,'' commonly known as the Siamese fighting f ...

s. It is most commonly used to promote

fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. F ...

and tissue regrowth, but is also considered effective in treating other conditions, such as

fin rot Fin rot is the phenomenon where the fins of a fish gradually decay and are eventually destroyed. Typically, fin rot is either a symptom of a disease, oftentimes a bacterial or fungal infection, but it can also sometimes be a disease by itself. Fi ...

velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...

. Schivappa ''et al.'' tested Melafix and Bettafix on various pathogens including bacteria and found no effect. However Schelkle ''et al.'' found high efficacy of Melafix, Pimafix and various ingredients against the helminth '' Gyrodactylus turnbulli'' in

guppies The Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) was initiated by the United States Navy after World War II to improve the submerged speed, maneuverability, and endurance of its submarines. (The "Y" in the acronym was added for pronouncea ...

and in vitro: the emulsifier Crovol, used in both medicines was only useful by itself in vitro.

References

Essential oils {{botany-stub

Production and uses

Topical uses

Potential side effects

For fish

See also

References