Associate Professor David N Leach BSc(Hons)(La Trobe) PhD(La Trobe) MRACI CChem David N Leach has over twenty years experience in phytochemistry specialising in chemical analysis and biological activity of essential oils. Much of the early work in this field was academic in nature and focussed on tea tree oil, its chemistry and antimicrobial activity. Over the past six years his work has been more commercially focussed with a strong emphasis on application of essential oils as pesticides. Fundamental chemistry conducted at Australian Phytochemicals Ltd led to the development of a patent for BioProspect Ltd on QCIDE, a specific Eucalyptus oil based on the general class of chemical compounds referred to as B-triketones. Based on other work also undertaken at APL an additional patent has also been lodged for a termiticide utilising another endemic Australian essential oil. His major areas of expertise lie in extraction and analysis of bioactive plant extracts using modern chromatographic techniques, mass spectrometry and NMR. He has published over 70 papers that reflect a broad range of chemical experience, is a member of CH21 Essential Oils for Australian Standards Association and has supervised or co-supervised 13 PhD students and 2 MSc candidates.
Journal articles
Diarylheptanoid from Pleuranthodium racemigerum with in vitro prostaglandin E2 inhibitory and cytotoxic activity (with Hans Wohlmuth, Myrna A. Deseo, Don J. Brushett, Dion R. Thompson, Graham MacFarlane, and Lesley M. Stevenson), Journal of Natural Products (2010)
Bioactivity-guided fractionation of an ethanolic extract of the rhizome of Pleuranthodium racemigerum, a tropical Zingiberaceae...
Prenylated alkylbisphenols from Grevillea whiteana (with Hao Wang, Paul I. Forster, Michael C. Thomas, Stephen J. Blanksby, and Peter G. Waterman), Natural Product Communications (2009)
Prenylated bisresorcinols from Grevillea floribunda (with Hao Wang, Paul I. Forster, Michael C. Thomas, Stephen J. Blanksby, and Peter G. Waterman), Phytochemistry Letters (2009)
Seven new bisresorcinol derivatives, together with four known resorcinols, have been isolated from the ethyl...
A method of selecting plants with anti-inflammatory potential for pharmacological study (with G David Lin, Rachel W. Li, and Stephen P. Myers), Natural Product Communications (2008)
Antioxidant activity of 45 Chinese herbs and the relationship with their TCM characteristics (with Hui Liao and Linda K. Banbury), Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2008)
Here, 45 Chinese herbs that regulate blood circulation were analyzed for antioxidant activity using the...
Book chapters
SPME and GC-AED-Olfactometry for the detection of trace odorants in essential oils (with S Grant Wyllie and K A. Merry), Gas chromatography-olfactometry: the state of the art (2001)
Conference publications
In vitro activity of alkylamides and ethanolic extracts from Echinacea (with Anita Matthias, Kerry G. Penman, Linda K. Banbury, Kerry M. Bone, and Reg P. Lehmann), Proceedings of 8th World Congress of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2004)
Genetics and biochemistry of essential oil biosynthesis in tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) (with Dale Shelton, Peter R. Baverstock, and Robert J. Henry), ComBio 2002 (2002)
Analysis of expressed sequence TAGS (ESTs) isolated from immature leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia (with Dale A. Shelton, Peter R. Baverstock, and Robert J. Henry), Plant and Animal Genome IX Conference (2001)
Melaleuca alternifolia, is a commercially important, Australian native tree commercially harvested for its monoterpene-rich essential...
Terpene synthases from Australian Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) (with Dale A. Shelton, Shahid Chohan, S Grant Wyllie, Peter R. Baverstock, and Robert J. Henry), Plant and Animal Genome VIII Conference (2000)
Melaleuca alternifolia is an evergreen, Australian native tree species commonly referred to as Tea Tree....
A tea tree breeding strategy based on molecular genetics (with L Slade Lee, Maurizio Rossetto, Laura E. Homer, and Robert J. Henry), Proceedings of the 11th Australian Plant Breeding Conference (1999)
Patents
Biologically active compounds. WO2007062468 Bioactive Exports Pty Ltd. (with Lesley M. Stevenson, Brigitte Gabriel, and Karen Beattie), Centre for Phytochemistry and Pharmacology Papers (2007)
Quality assurance for tea tree oil safety investigative samples (with Ian Southwell, Robert Lowe, and Aaron Pollack), Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (2006)
Tea tree oil has recently received bad media coverage overseas though headlines stating: “tea tree...