While the use of alternative or natural remedies may be used sparingly in hospitals in the United States, these plant products have been used and researched in other countries for many years. Research has been expanding on chemical components as well as the entire essential oil products in the United States over the last ten years. As more hospital pharmacies begin to include essential oils in their formulary for various uses, a brief mention of laboratory studies that have been published on the effects of various essential oils against several viruses are included.
Dr. Wu and colleagues discovered that using a blend (cinnamon, clove, rosemary, eucalyptus, and wild orange) of essential oils inhibited the growth of H1N1 Influenza in viral culture cell lines. Another study using similar components of Cinnamon zeylanicum (cinnamon), Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace or wild carrot), Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus), and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) reportedly were all effective against H1N1 and HSV1 viruses in reduction of the virus within 60 minutes of contact time. An additional study of a blend of essential oils was also shown to have anti-viral activity against H1N1, Influenza B, and Human Rhinovirus 14 (HRV14). Whereas in another study, aerosolized tea tree and eucalyptus oils inactivated Influenza A within 5-15 minutes. Other published research indicated that highly diluted (low volume of essential oil) amounts of cinnamon, bergamot, and thyme were able to completely inactivate Influenza. Alternative treatment options are being researched all over the world that incorporates using essential oils that have known and unknown antimicrobial actions in viral culture, animal testing, and in human clinical trials.
