Ameliorative Efficacy of Combined Betel and Tea Tree Essential Oil-Incorporated Cream on DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis-like Symptoms in BALB/c Mice

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the ameliorative efficacy of combined betel and tea tree essential oil-incorporated cream on DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis-like symptoms in BALB/c mice.

Methodology: cream formulation containing blended betel essential oil (1%) and tea tree essential oil (0.5%) was topically applied onto the dorsal skin of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-sensitized BALB/c mice once a day during four weeks of assay. Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS) and protopic (tacrolimus 0.1%) were used as negative and positive control, respectively. All mice were subjected to the assessment of AD-like symptoms including the severity of skin lesions, frequency of scratching behavior and histological features.

Results: The blended essential oil-incorporated cream has significant effect against DNCB-induced eczematous skin lesions in BALB/c mice with the dermatitis score of 2.17 ± 0.75 (n = 6, p < 0.05) and the number of scratching behavior of 6.09 ± 1.28 (n = 6, p < 0.05) compared to negative control (7.00 ± 0.63 and 18.55 ± 1.23, n = 6, p < 0.05, respectively). Animals treated showed dose-related improvements in the histology of the skin.

Conclusion: These findings confirmed the ameliorative efficacy of betel and tea tree essential oil-incorporated cream on DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis like symptoms in BALB/c mice. However, further studies are necessary to elucidate the possible synergistic effect of blended essential oils from betel and tea tree as well as the interplaying roles of major molecules present in essential oils.