Melaleuca cajuputi
StarMelaleuca cajuputi
Synonyms: Myrtus saligna, Melaleuca saligna, Melaleuca trinervis, Pimentus saligna
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Melaleuca cajuputi, the cajeput or paperbark tea-tree, is an evergreen tree in the Myrtaceae family native to tropical regions of northern Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China. It typically grows 10 to 25 m tall, with a stout, often crooked trunk clothed in thick, pale, multi-layered papery bark that peels in soft sheets. The leaves are alternate, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 4 to 14 cm long and 1 to 4 cm wide, leathery, grey-green, and strongly aromatic when crushed, owing to a high concentration of 1,8-cineole and related monoterpenes in oil glands. The inflorescences are dense, terminal, cream to white bottlebrush-like spikes 4 to 8 cm long, composed of numerous flowers with bundled stamens; spikes are highly nectariferous. Fruits are small woody capsules 3 to 4 mm wide, clustered along stems and persistent after seed release. It dominates seasonally inundated coastal swamps, floodplains, and lowland forests, and its leaves yield the commercial cajeput essential oil. (POWO; Wikipedia)
Active Constituents
1,8-Cineole (eucalyptol)
Monoterpene oxideConcentration: Leaf oil highly variable, ~17-72% by provenance
The principal and defining constituent of commercial cajeput oil, responsible for its camphoraceous odour and its expectorant, mucolytic, antimicrobial and mild analgesic actions.
alpha-Terpineol
Monoterpene alcoholConcentration: Leaf oil ~3-8%
A monoterpene alcohol with recognized antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, contributing to cajeput oil's traditional use for skin infections and coughs.
gamma-Terpinene
MonoterpeneConcentration: Leaf oil ~5-9%
An antioxidant monoterpene that, with terpinolene and p-cymene, forms part of the oil's terpene hydrocarbon fraction.
Terpinolene
MonoterpeneConcentration: Leaf oil ~5-9% in some chemotypes
A monoterpene contributing antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and part of the fresh top note of certain cajeput oil chemotypes.
Limonene
MonoterpeneConcentration: Leaf oil ~6-12% (chemotype-dependent)
A citrusy monoterpene with antioxidant and mild anti-inflammatory properties present in the volatile fraction.
beta-Caryophyllene
SesquiterpeneConcentration: Leaf oil ~6-10%
A dietary cannabinoid-type sesquiterpene (CB2 agonist) with anti-inflammatory activity that contributes to the oil's soothing topical effect.
alpha-Pinene
Bicyclic monoterpeneConcentration: Leaf oil ~2-5%
A resinous monoterpene adding to the antimicrobial and expectorant character of the oil.
p-Cymene
Aromatic monoterpeneConcentration: Leaf oil minor component
An aromatic monoterpene with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, frequently reported among the minor volatiles of cajeput oil.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 (broad class)
The dominant constituent 1,8-cineole is a documented inducer of hepatic cytochrome P450 (including CYP3A4). Large internal doses of cineole-rich cajeput oil could theoretically increase clearance of co-administered CYP3A4 substrates.
Clinical note: Not a concern for topical or inhaled aromatherapeutic use; relevant only to inappropriate internal use of the essential oil.
Preparation Methods
Cajeput essential oil (steam/hydro distilled)
Parts: Leaves, Young twigs
The distilled oil ('minyak kayu putih' in Indonesia/Malaysia) is applied diluted to the skin as a warming rubefacient for muscle and joint aches and rubbed on the chest or inhaled for colds and blocked sinuses. Warning: it is a strong cineole-rich oil; dilute well, avoid application near the face of infants and young children, and do not take internally except under professional supervision.
Steam inhalation
Parts: Essential oil
A few drops added to hot water and inhaled are used traditionally as a decongestant and expectorant for respiratory congestion in adults.
Traditional leaf remedy
Parts: Leaves
In Malay and other Southeast Asian traditions the aromatic leaves are used for stomach cramps, cough, acne, thrush and insect bites, typically as topical or aromatic applications.
Clinical Studies
Melaleuca cajuputi Powell Essential Oil: A Review of Botanical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties
Reviews the botany, essential-oil chemistry (terpenes, esters, aldehydes, alkenes; notably 1,8-cineole, alpha-terpineol and alpha-pinene) and reported pharmacological activities of cajeput oil, including antimicrobial, insect-repellent and fumigant-toxicity effects, and calls for comprehensive toxicity studies before clinical development.
Historical Texts
European pharmacopoeias — 'Oleum Cajuputi'
18th-19th centurySoutheast Asian traditional medicine — minyak kayu putih
Traditional (pre-modern to present)References
- Noor AAMD. Melaleuca cajuputi Powell Essential Oil: A Review of Botanical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties . Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology (2023) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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