ABSTRACT
Cajeput oil is the essential oil obtained from the leaves and the terminal branchlets of the cajaput tree, Melaleuca cajuputi Powell. The terms cajaput, cajuput and cajeput are synonymously used for both the tree and the oil. Melaleuca cajuputi Powell is an evergreen shrub or tree which may measure up to 25 meters in height. The name ‘cajeput’ is derived from its Indonesian name, ‘kayu putih’ or ‘white wood’. The essential oil made from the leaves and twigs of the tree is extremely pungent and has the odor of a mixture of turpentine and camphor. Cajeput oil has also been used in Vietnam, Indonesia, China and elsewhere for the treatment of purulent skin lesions, as inhalant in the treatment of nasal catarrh, and as painkiller for headache, toothache, rheumatism, and convulsions in the form of applied plaster. Cajeput oil is a colorless to yellowish easily mobile clear liquid which has a fresh, camphoraceus, minty and eucalyptus-like odor.
