Essential oils for the treatment of dust mites

Abstract

House mites, including D. pteronyssinus and D. farina, are common causes of allergic diseases, such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, eczema, conjunctivitis and perennial rhinitis in susceptible patients. Conventional acaricides, such as benzyl benzoate, bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos are effective chemicals in treating mites. However, they are usually with high drug resistance and high adverse effects on environment, human health, and non-target organisms. Recently, essential oils from different plants were found to be safe and effective alternatives for killing different types of mites. The present review summarized the essential oils from different plants. The crude essential oils from Melissa officinalis, S.lavandulifolia oil, cade oil, P. cattleianum, Patchouli oil, Horseradish oil, C. cassia, P. cablin, Manuka oil, Clove Bud oil, and the pure essential oils, such as eugenol, caryophyllene, and camphor might be good candidates for the dust mites. Further studies on biological mechanisms of the acaricidal effects of these active essential oils, and the structure-activity relationships are needed to make the functions of these drugs more clear.