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Lemon myrtle oil has long been used by Australia’s Indigenous community for wound care and healing. Now, scientists in Queensland, Australia, working together with the Indigenous community have created a hydrogel that could help heal patients with chronic or other kinds of wounds, reported ABC News Australia.
Anti-microbial properties
According to the SuperFoods Australia website, the lemon myrtle tree has long been revered among Aboriginal Australians for its healing powers.
Scientists have found that the leaves of this native Australian tree, which is used to season food, contain many beneficial properties. They are high in vitamins A and E, and contain calcium, zinc, and magnesium. In addition they are anti-microbial, anti-viral, and an antioxidant.
These properties have made both lemon myrtle tea and oil a home remedy for so many ailments such as: insomnia, a sore throat, sinus pain, acne, insect bites, and more.
Harnessing Indigenous wisdom
Now, researchers from the University of South Queensland have published their findings in the journal Heliyon that showed how lemon myrtle can be used to create an effective and low-cost hydrogel used to treat wounds.
The research indicates that the gel could be effective against a bacteria called golden staph which can cause pneumonia and blood poisoning, reported ABC.
“This could be effective in speeding up the wound healing process, as well as maintaining that wound microenvironment to actually help the normal healing process too,” Dr. Danuki Seneviratne, one of the lead researchers, told ABC.
In addition to being quite effective, the gel is also quite inexpensive to produce. Currently wound dressings can cost hundreds of dollars, while the hydrogel can be produced for only 30 dollars. This could be a great relief to low-income patients with chronic wounds.
Adjunct associate professor Bill McGuiness, from La Trobe University's Alfred Clinical School said that if the gel is commercially produced, it could have a life-changing impact on those who suffered from chronic wounds.
The project, which began in 2021 was part of a concerted effort to combine the traditional practices of Australia’s Indigenous population and Western medicine. To this end, the research team was aided and overseen by Raylene Ward who is a member of the Aboriginal Kunja people from south-east Queensland.
Ward told ABC that many people in the Aboriginal community suffer from different types of wounds, “so it was important to develop dressings that they could relate to.”
The research shows that the combination of Western medicine and traditional practices can be very beneficial. The two fields are not an either/or, but rather partners working in tandem to bring healing and relief to humanity.
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