Emu Oil
Scientific Name(s): Dromaius novaehollandiae
Common Name(s): Emu, Emu oil
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 20, 2024.
Clinical Overview
Use
Limited studies have evaluated topical applications of emu oil for burns and other dermatological conditions. Emu oil has also been evaluated for its anti-inflammatory effects, including in preclinical studies in models of gut disease. However, clinical trials are lacking to determine efficacy, safety, and optimal frequency or duration of oral or topical administration; therefore, emu oil cannot be recommended for any indication.
Dosing
Emu oil has primarily been studied for topical application; clinical trials are lacking to provide topical or oral dosing recommendations.
Contraindications
Contraindications have not been identified.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Avoid use. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.
Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
Information regarding adverse reactions with emu oil use is lacking.
Toxicology
No data.
Scientific Family
- Dromaiidae
Source
The emu can grow up to 2 m in height and is the second tallest member of the ratites group of flightless birds, which also includes the ostrich, rhea, kiwi, and cassowary. Emu birds are native to Australia and thought to have been introduced into the United States in the 1930s as zoo animals; the birds and are now bred for commercial use.
Because emus store their body fat on their backs, emu meat is lean and devoid of fat; in addition, the meat is rich in heme iron, vitamins A and E, and creatine. The oil is obtained from subcutaneous and retroperitoneal fat via a maceration, centrifuge, and filtration process.Abimosleh 2012, Beckerbauer 2001, Jeengar 2015
History
The Aboriginal people of Australia have used emu oil for centuries. The oil was traditionally collected by either hanging the emu skin from a tree or wrapping it around an affected area and allowing the heat of the sun to liquify the emu fat, which served to enhance absorption or penetration into the skin. Emu oil has been used medicinally to treat muscle and joint problems (eg, rheumatoid arthritis) and a variety of skin conditions (eg, psoriasis). The oil has also been used for cooking, as well as for keeping leather supple.Abimosleh 2012, Rokicki 2000, Turner 2015
Chemistry
Emu oil contains myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, elaidic, linoleic, linolenic, and eicosenoic fatty acids, with oleic acid being the main fatty acid (40% to 50%). Fatty acid content varies by sex of the bird and is also seasonally and dietary dependent. Lesser quantities of carotenoids, flavones, polyphenols, tocopherol, and phospholipids have also been identified in the oil.Abimosleh 2012, Beckerbauer 2001, Kim 2013, Minnaar 1997, Turner 2015
Uses and Pharmacology
Anti-inflammatory effects
Various potential mechanisms of action regarding anti-inflammatory activities of the fatty acids of emu oil have been theorized.Jeengar 2015
Animal and in vitro data
Interference with inflammatory cytokine production and antioxidant actions has been demonstrated in vitro.Abimosleh 2012 Also in vitro, reduced production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha has been demonstrated in macrophages.Miyashita 2018 In rodent models of arthritis, topically applied emu oil demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects,López 1999, Snowden 1997, Whitehouse 1998, Yoganathan 2003 with one experiment demonstrating efficacy comparable with oral ibuprofen.Snowden 1997
In another study in rodents, emu oil reduced the severity of colitis, as measured by colonoscopy.Chartier 2018 Reductions in macroscopic and microscopic lesions, and in clinical severity, have been demonstrated in other experiments of rodents with induced ulcerative colitis,Safaeian 2019, Sethuraman 2015, Vemu 2016 with one study reporting a decline in the expression of TNF-alpha.Sethuraman 2015
Clinical data
A clinical study evaluated topical pure emu oil for joint pain related to adjuvant aromatase inhibitor use in women with breast cancer (N=73). In the 3-month trial, no statistically significant benefit was observed with the use of emu oil over placebo, despite an improvement in pain scores over baseline for all enrolled participants.Chan 2017
Cancer
Animal data
Low-dose emu oil administered over 9 weeks was protective against colitis-induced colorectal tumors in a rodent study.Chartier 2018
Cardiovascular effects
Animal data
Hypocholesterolemic effects of dietary emu oil have been demonstrated in animal models of atherosclerosis.Fukushima 1999, Kamalakkannan 2016, Wilson 2004 Activity is attributed to high mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid content.Jeengar 2015
Clinical data
Clinical studies are lacking. One report noted changes in blood flow–mediated vasodilation responses and blood pressure among 20 healthy young adults after a single oral dose of edible emu oil.Miyashita 2018
Dermatologic effects
Animal and in vitro data
In vitro, emu oil accelerated the growth rate of keratinocytes and demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties (inhibition of interferon gamma activity), which supports suggested wound healing properties of the oil.Bennett 2015 An in vitro study using murine melanoma cells suggests that emu oil reduces cellular melanin production, the implications of which are unclear.Ito 2016
The wound healing effects of emu oil and emu oil lotion were examined in rodent models of skin defects. Promotion of wound contraction, epithelialization, and infiltration of organized granulation tissue was demonstrated.Politis 1998 The efficacy of emu oil in healing of burns has been evaluated in rodent experiments,Afshar 2016, Li 2004 with one study reporting slow healing of burns and inflammation lasting longer than the comparator; however, emu oil had a positive effect on fibrogenesis and synthesis of collagen, and increased the number of hair follicles in the margins of the wound.Afshar 2016
Emu oil has been shown to penetrate into human skinMansour 2017 and has been evaluated as a transdermal vehicle for various chemical compounds including progesterone, anesthetic agents, and insulin.Akram 2013, Jeengar 2015, Viljoen 2015
Clinical data
In a small clinical study (N=10), emu oil was evaluated as a lubricant and aid in reducing scar formation in healed burns. Photoanalysis showed wound areas treated with emu oil healed significantly better (P<0.02) than those in the control group.Penturf 1998 A conference abstract reports the use of emu oil in children (N=125) with burns (5% to 60% body surface area) in a clinical study conducted in Chile.Lagniel 2007 In another clinical study evaluating emu oil for prevention of radiation-induced dermatitis, median times to peak rash, skin redness, peeling, and skin swelling tended to be slightly, but not significantly, longer in emu oil–treated patients than with placebo (cottonseed oil); area under the curve of Skindex-16 scores tended to be lower with emu oil, and overall quality of life was slightly better with emu oil. No differences in adverse events were observed between the 2 groups.Rollmann 2015
Clinical studies have demonstrated skin hydrating properties when emu oil–based lotion was applied to the skin of neonates and when emu oil–based cream was applied to breast areola skin in breastfeeding mothers.Zanardo 2016, Zanardo 2017
In another clinical trial, 126 participants with seborrheic dermatitis were randomized to emu oil, hydrocortisone, or clotrimazole treatment. Although effective, emu oil produced a lesser effect than standard treatment.Attarzadeh 2013
Insect repellent
Clinical data
In one study, emu oil applied to one hand of human volunteers acted as an insect repellent, reportedly reducing the number of mosquito bites.Jeengar 2015
Dosing
Emu oil has primarily been studied for topical application; clinical trials are lacking to provide topical or oral dosing recommendations.
Pregnancy / Lactation
Avoid use. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.
Emu oil–based lotion has been applied to the skin of neonates and emu oil–based cream has been applied to breast areola skin in breastfeeding mothers to improve skin hydration.Zanardo 2016, Zanardo 2017
Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
Information regarding adverse reactions with emu oil use is lacking.
Topical emu oil was not associated with an increase in adverse events in a placebo-controlled clinical study evaluating efficacy in preventing radiation-induced dermatitis.Rollmann 2015
Toxicology
Research reveals no information regarding toxicity of emu oil. An in vitro study using murine melanoma cells suggests that emu oil reduces cellular melanin production, the implications of which are unclear.Ito 2016 When emu oil was used orally for intestinal repair of tissue injury or inflammation in rodents, no evidence of stimulation of activity that might lead to colorectal cancer was found.Mashtoub 2018 No harm to the intestinal mucosa was observed in rat models of various intestinal disorders administered emu oil, according to the C-sucrose breath test.Abimosleh 2012, Abimosleh 2013, Lindsay 2010
References
Disclaimer
This information relates to an herbal, vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplement. This product has not been reviewed by the FDA to determine whether it is safe or effective and is not subject to the quality standards and safety information collection standards that are applicable to most prescription drugs. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this product. This information does not endorse this product as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this product. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this product. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. You should talk with your health care provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this product.
This product may adversely interact with certain health and medical conditions, other prescription and over-the-counter drugs, foods, or other dietary supplements. This product may be unsafe when used before surgery or other medical procedures. It is important to fully inform your doctor about the herbal, vitamins, mineral or any other supplements you are taking before any kind of surgery or medical procedure. With the exception of certain products that are generally recognized as safe in normal quantities, including use of folic acid and prenatal vitamins during pregnancy, this product has not been sufficiently studied to determine whether it is safe to use during pregnancy or nursing or by persons younger than 2 years of age.
Further information
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