A native herb to Southern Europe, rosemary has a central place in European herbal medicine. Rosemary's anti-inflammatory effect is due mainly to rosemarinic acid and flavonoids [16]. The flavonoids also strengthen the capillaries.

Rosemary helps stimulate blood flow and has analgesic and muscle relaxing properties when applied externally. Rosemary is also widely used in the treatment of headaches and migraine.

Melaleuca Oil - Tea Tree Oil
Used in Austral-Balm

Melaleuca alternifolia or Tea tree is a native Australian tall shrub. Its young growth is rich in essential oils. Tea tree oil penetrates the skin readily and its combination of some 100 natural compounds has remarkable anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activity.

As the antiseptic and infection fighting qualities of tea tree oil became known in the 1930's it became widely used and was standard army issue to every Australian soldier in World War 2.

Recent research for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation [17] shows that the components of tea tree oil are lethal to a wide range of micro-organisms, including "golden staph" (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) where all 60 golden staph strains tested were susceptible, E. coli, the fungus candida albicans and many others. It was shown to effectively kill many pathogenic (disease causing) organisms yet seems to spare the normal flora of the body such as lactobacillus species. Tea tree oil therefore seems to have a selective killing action on "bad" bacteria whilst sparing the "good" organisms. This contrasts sharply with most current anti-biotics which often upset the normal balance of micro-flora in the body when they are used. Tea tree oil was shown to be effective against the organisms which cause the common childhood infections impetigo, and the microbes which cause bacterial vaginosis in women. Tea tree oil has a wide range of anti-fungal activity and also appears to have mild analgesic properties. Its ability to adhere to and penetrate the skin gives it a marked advantage over conventional antiseptics and antibiotics.

In a research paper for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation [18] the anti-inflammatory activity of various emu oil preparations were tested in 2 types of animal models.

In one model, (the adjuvant induced arthritis model) several emu oil preparations had considerably more anti-inflammatory activity than ibuprofen, a leading non steroidal anti-inflammatory compound.

Emu oil was found to contain a very unusual triglyceride with the unsaturated fat oleic acid at each end of the molecule. This may explain the unusual physical properties of emu oil.

The second animal model in the study (carrageenan induced oedema model) compared emu oil with prednisolone, a potent steroid anti-inflammatory compound. The study found emu oil to be comparable with prednisolone in this model.

As noted in the study "since the emu oil used achieved a comparable reduction in swelling to prednisolone, it must be considered to have potent anti-inflammatory activity".

Emu oil appears to work in a different way from steroids such as prednisolone and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

Research done at the University of Queensland [19] also using the adjuvant induced polyarthritis animal model confirms the potent anti-inflammatory activity of emu oil.

These potent oils were shown to be more effective than naproxen - a leading non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.

Emu oil also appears to be a very good trans-dermal carrier, aiding the absorption of other compounds into the skin. As stated in the study "emu oil appears to penetrate the dermis much more readily and completely than other oils".

Nutri-Pharm's formulation work has been done with this property in mind. Emu oil is virtually devoid of side effects yet appears (at least in animal tests) to be of comparable potency with drugs that are plagued with side effect problems (particularly prednisolone and the other corticosteroids).

Another advantage of emu oil is that, unlike virtually every other anti-inflammatory agent, emu oil does NOT delay wound healing [20]. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and particularly the corticosteroids induce marked delay in the healing of wounds and injuries.

Remarkably the University of Queensland study showed that emu oil given orally reduced the bleeding and gastric irritation caused by the non-steroidals naproxen and ibuprofen.

Areas of skin treated with emu oil in the study showed little or no irritation, in contrast to some topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory preparations.

To summarise, emu oil has proven powerful anti-inflammatory action in animal models, and with appropriate quality control appears to be a remarkably effective compound. It is safe to use, with very low toxicity.

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[1] C. Mann and E. Staba, "The Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Commercial Formulations of Chamomile", Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances in Botany, Horticulture and Pharmacology Vol. 1, pages 233-280
[2] M. Takasaki et al., Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 18 (3) (1995); pages 435-38
[3] S. K. Swanston-Flatt et al., Diabetologic, 33 (8) (1990); pages 462-64
[4] H. Gobel et al., Cephalalgia, 14 (3) (1994); pages 228-34
[5] M. Hardy et al., The Lancet, 346 (Sept 9, 1995); page 701
[6] A. Dale et al., Journal of Advanced Nursing, 19 (1) (1994); pages 89-96
[7] W. Bowman, M. Rand, Textbook of Pharmacology, 16.19
[8] American Pharmaceutical Association, op.cit.
[9] A. Peirce, American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines:500
[10] A. Leung and S. Foster, Encyclopaedia of Common Natural Ingredients used in Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics, 2nd ed.
[11] M. Tariq. et al., Agents and Actions 17 (1986); pages 381-82
[12] A. Moshin et al., Fitoterapia, 60 (1989); pages 174-77
[13] P. Deleveau, et al., Planta Medica, 40 (1980); pages 49-54
[14] P. Dolara, et al., Nature, 379 (6560) (1996); page 29
[15] F. Al-Awadi and K. Gumaa, Acta Diabetologica Latina, 24 (1987); pages 37-41
[16] Andrew Chevallier, Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
[17] Anti-Microbial Activity of Tea Tree Oil, RIRDC Publication No. 98/70
[18] J. Snowden, P. O'Malley, T. Ellis, Emu Oil It's Anti-inflammatory Properties, Oct 1999, RIRDC Publication No. 99/133
[19] J. Snowden, M. Roberts and S. Cross, 1999, RIRDC Research Paper No 97
[20] M. Whitehouse, A. Turner, C. Davis and M. Roberts, Emu Oil(s): A source of Non-toxic Transdermal Anti-inflammatory Agents in Aboriginal Medicine, Inflammopharmacology, (1998); 6: pages 1-8
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