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Botany
Spiral eucalyptus is a small tree with reddish
brown, drooping branches. Leaves are opposite, stiff, leathery,
silvery green to grayish blue, rounded, up to 7 centimeters across when young,
becoming ovate to lanceolate, with a yellow midrib when mature.
 Distribution
- Native to New South Wales and Victoria, Australia.
-
Recently introduced with
limited distribution and cultivation.
-
Usually planted as a garden
plant.
Constituents
- Yields essential oils, most effective is 1,8-cineole and anisole.
- Study evaluated the essential oil from different plant parts - leaves, flowers, and fruits. 1,8-Cineole was the main compound from leaves in spring, and flowers and fruits in winter. Other compounds in the aerial parts were a-pinene, limonene, a-terpineol, and a-terpinyl acetate.
Properties
Astringent and antiseptic.
Parts used
Leaves.
Uses
Folkloric
- Not widely used as a medicinal
plant in the Philippines. But as with other eucalyptus pants, is
used as an antiseptic and deodorant.
- Used for infections, colds, sore throats, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia,
neuralgia and variety of skin infections.
- Decoction of leaves as tea for cough, asthma, hoarseness, fevers.
Extraction of oil
Boil mature leaves in water,
condensing the vapor to recover the oil. Eucalyptus globulus yields
less oil than the other varieties used for commercial production of
medicinal grade oils.
Studies
• In South America,
being studied for its use as a fumigant and repellant and head lice
control. (Journal of Medical Entomology / Article: pp. 889–895)
• Chemical composition of the
essential oil of nine Eucalyptus species growing in Morocco:
The species studied included E. cinerea. All species were found to possess
an oil rich in 1,8-cineole, exceeding 80% in E. cinerea.
• Fumigant / Repellent / Anti-Lice : In an Argentinian study of the fumigant and repellent properties of 16 essential oils and 21 chemical components against permethrin-resistant head lice, from 16 plants in Argentina, the most effective oil was the native M cisplatensis followed by E cinerea.
• Insecticidal Activity: In a study in Argentina of 12 essential oils and 17 individual terpenes for insecticidal activity against the house fly Musca domestica, Citrus sinensis was the most potent insecticide followed by C aurantium and Eucalyptus cinerea.
• Larvicidal / Aedes Aegypti: Study evaluated the homeopathic and larvicide effect of E. cinerea essential oil on Aedes aegypti. It showed a high larvicide effect. Results showed the essential oil was highly promisng for a public health system for control of A. aegypti.
• Essential Oil from Different Plant Parts/ Antimicrobial: Study showed 1,8-Cineole was the main compound from leaves in spring, and flowers and fruits in winter. Other compounds in the aerial parts were a-pinene, limonene, a-terpineol, and a-terpinyl acetate. The essential oil showed antimicrobial activities against bacteria (Strep pyogenes, Staph aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and yeasts (Candida albicans). E. cinerea can be employed as a source of 1,8-cineole, since the aerial parts (leaves, flowers, and fruits) show to be rich in these compound in al seasons of the year.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
