春痘的發生主要為毛囊開口處異常角質化造成阻塞、皮脂分泌過多、
毛囊中痤瘡桿菌（Propionibacterium acnes）大量增生釋放酵素、化學趨化
物引發發炎反應。在青春痘的治療上，常以抗生素來抑制痤瘡桿菌生長。
但近年來因抗生素的使用犯濫，導致細菌產生抗藥性的現象日趨嚴重。因
此找尋新的抗菌成份，已成為目前抗痘產品的研發趨勢。
精油的使用已經有相當悠久的歷史，且應用於改善空氣品質、治療呼吸
道疾病或頭痛、鎮靜、美容、抗菌等不同領域。本論文主要利用精油的抗
菌特性，測試其對痤瘡桿菌的抑菌效果，同時也將進行抗發炎活性分析，
評估精油應用於改善青春痘之可行性。
抑菌實驗顯示9 種精油對於痤瘡桿菌具有抑制作用，尤其以白千層精油
的效果最明顯，以培養液稀釋法(Broth dilution method)測試其最小抑制濃度
為0.01%。在植物精油抗發炎活性方面，在低於最小抑菌濃度下，利用酵素
免疫連結吸附法(Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, ELISA)分析人類單核球細胞株(THP-1)分泌細胞激素IL-8、IL-1β、TNF-?的分泌量。實驗結果發現檸檬尤加利精油及其水溶性成分可明顯抑制由LPS
(Lipopolysaccharide)或痤瘡桿菌上清液所誘導產生IL-8 的分泌量。茶樹精油(F)及其水溶性成分可明顯抑制由LPS 誘導產生IL-1β 的分泌量。天竺葵和茶樹精油(I)及其水溶性成分均可明顯抑制由LPS 誘導產生TNF-?的分泌量。尤加利精油及其水溶性成分可明顯抑制由痤瘡桿菌上清液誘導產生IL-1β 的分泌量。綜合本論文研究結果，實驗篩選出的9 種精油於低濃度下，除對痤瘡桿菌有抑制作用外，有些甚至具有抗發炎活性，是值得開發為「改善青春痘」之保養品。 Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is one of the factors of acne. P. acnes
increase by several orders of magnitude in the environment created by
abnormally keratinization in the sebaceous follicle. The organism produces a
variety of exocellulan enzymes and molecules with chemoattractant activity, and
it has also been shown to stimulate cells of nonspeafic immune system to
produce proinflammatory cytokines which initiate inflammation. Antibiotics
have been widely used to treat the acne in the part. This resulted in the
development of bacterial resistance. Finding new antibiotic components has
become the main purpose in the research of anti-acne.
Essential oils have been applied for many years in different areas, such as
the improvement of air quality, treatment of the disease of respiratory system
and, headache, cosmetology and antibiotic. Based on the antibiotic
characteriseic of essential oil, the aim of the research was to estimate the
potential of essential oils on mending acne condition.
The experiment was divided into two parts. Firstly, we sieved out the
essential oils which exhibited antibiotic properties and found that nine of them
can inhibit the growth of P. acnes, especially Melaleuca cajuputil with
minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.01% by broth dilution method.
Secondly, we estimate the activity of anti-inflammation of essential oils
according to the amounts of IL-8、IL-1β and TNF-?secreted from human
monocyte cell line (THP-1) by ELISA method. It was found that the essential
oil and the water- soluble components from Eucalyptus citriodora can inhibit
the secretion of IL-8 from THP-1 cell induced by LPS and P. acnes suspension.
The essential oils and the water-soluble components of Melaleuca alternifolia
can inhibit the secretion of IL-1β from THP-1 cell induced by LPS. The
essential oils and the water-soluble components of Pelargonium and Melaleuca
alternifolia can inhibit the secretion of TNF-?from THP-1 cell induced by
III
LPS. The essential oil and the water-soluble components of Eucalypus can
inhibit the secretion of IL-1β induced by P. acnes suspension.
In summary nine essential oils in this study had antimicrobial activity
against P. acnes at low concentration. In addition, some of them showed the
ability of anti-inflammation. Therefore, these essential oils in this study are
potential to be formulated in skin cane products of mending acne.
Keywords：Acne、Propionibacterium acnes、Essential oil、Minimum
inhibitory concentration、Anti-inflammation
