Tung oil is a natural vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the tung tree. It can be used in medicine as well as in printing and construction. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is commonly used to mix with ointments and other topical medicines. Let's learn more about the benefits and uses of tung oil.
1. Medicinal Value of Tung Oil
Tung oil is believed to have the following effects in traditional Chinese medicine: expectorant, heat-clearing and detoxifying, dampness-reducing and insecticidal, and skin-moisturizing and tissue-regenerating. It is used to treat conditions such as throat inflammation, abscesses, scabies, boils, burns, frostbite, and chapped skin.
Tung oil is originally from China and has been traditionally used to protect wooden objects, produce oilcloth and oil paper for waterproofing, and mix with oil putty for filling gaps. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to mix with ointments and other topical medicines.
Tung oil is a high-quality drying oil with characteristics such as fast drying, light weight, good luster, strong adhesion, heat resistance, acid resistance, alkaline resistance, preservation, rust prevention, and non-conductivity. It has a wide range of applications.
Tung oil can be used to make oilcloth, oil paper, soap, pesticides, emetics, insecticides, and more.
2. Practical Value of Tung Oil
Tung oil is obtained from the seeds of the tung tree, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family. When exposed to air, it undergoes oxidation and polymerization reactions to form a dense film.
Tung oil is a natural vegetable oil that is processed and refined from harvested tung tree fruit seeds using mechanical pressing. The entire process is done through physical methods.
Tung oil is a major raw material for manufacturing paints, inks, and synthetic resins. It is widely used as a waterproofing, preservative, and anti-rust coating for buildings, machinery, weapons, vehicles, fishing gear, and electrical appliances.
It is also used in modern applications such as wood paints, inks, and synthetic resin production. Tung oil has excellent waterproofing properties and is widely used in construction, paint, printing (ink), agricultural machinery, and electronics industries.
3. Toxicity Analysis of Tung Oil
Tung oil is highly toxic and should only be used externally in clinical settings. It should not be consumed orally. Cases of tung oil poisoning have been reported due to mistaken ingestion (confusing tung oil with regular cooking oil for culinary purposes).
Based on observations of 289 cases, symptoms of poisoning mostly appeared within 2 hours after ingestion, with the earliest onset at 40 minutes and a few cases taking around 4 hours.
The main symptoms of tung oil poisoning include nausea, frequent vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, difficulty breathing, limb convulsions, numbness and coldness in the hands and feet, vomiting blood, bloody stools, and fever. Severe cases may experience coma and spasms of the throat muscles.
Laboratory tests have shown mild kidney damage in some cases, as well as exacerbation of liver disease symptoms and liver function changes. All patients recovered with timely treatment.
In addition, there have been cases of subacute poisoning caused by continuous consumption of small amounts of tung oil (tung oil mixed into cooking oil). According to reports of 52 cases, the clinical manifestations of subacute poisoning differ from acute poisoning in the following points:
1. Less severe gastrointestinal symptoms.
2. More pronounced systemic symptoms, such as fever, shortness of breath, numbness in the hands and feet, lower limb edema, decreased sensation, flushing, heat, and enlarged heart, which are rare in acute poisoning.
3. Poor prognosis, with 5 cases in this group resulting in death due to heart failure.
4. Clinical Applications of Tung Oil
4.1 Treatment of Surgical Inflammation
Tung oil mixed with gypsum powder is applied to the affected area. If used in a timely manner, it can promote the absorption and resolution of acute suppurative inflammation.
Preparation and usage: Mix 30-40 ml of tung oil with 100 grams of powdered gypsum, apply the mixture evenly on gauze or oil paper, and apply it to the affected area.
For peritonitis, apply it to the anterior abdominal wall at the site of the lesion. For inflammation of the pelvic adnexa, apply it to the lower abdomen or use vaginal suppositories. For tonsillitis and alveolar abscesses, apply it to the lower jaw.
The width of the application should exceed the infiltrated area of inflammation. Change the dressing 1-3 times daily based on the severity of the condition.
4.2 Treatment of Burns
Within 10 minutes after a burn, immerse the burned limb in a container of tung oil. The soaking time should continue until the pain subsides or there is only a slight burning sensation after the limb is removed from the oil.
After soaking, apply sterilized gauze soaked in raw tung oil to the affected area and change it once a day until the wound is dry. In a trial involving 9 cases, the redness and swelling around the burn site significantly reduced after soaking, and there were fewer blisters.
Third-degree burn scabs dried and fell off to heal. There were no infections, and the resulting scars were soft and did not cause functional impairments.
4.3 Treatment of Common Warts
Gently scrape the surface of the wart with a needle or small knife, and then drop tung oil latex on the wart. Let it naturally dry and form a scab, which will eventually fall off.
If there are still parts of the wart tissue remaining after the scab falls off, repeat the application of the medicine 1-2 times until complete healing. Do not wash the affected area with water after applying the medicine, as it may interfere with scab formation.
