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
Echinacea alkylamides modulate induced immune response in T-cells (with Anita Matthias, Linda K. Banbury, Kerry M. Bone, and Reg P. Lehmann), Centre for Phytochemistry and Pharmacology Papers (2008)
The effects of Echinacea and several of its phytochemical components on NFêB expression by Jurkat...
Alkylamides from Echinacea are macrophage immunomodulators (with Anita Matthias, Linda K. Banbury, Kerry G. Penman, Lesley M. Stevenson, Kerry M. Bone, and Reg P. Lehmann), Immunological Investigations (2007)
The ability of Echinacea and its components to alter the immune response was examined in...
Antioxidant capacity of 55 medicinal herbs traditionally used to treat the urinary system: a comparison using a sequential three solvent extraction process (with Lesley M. Stevenson, Ken Wojcikowski, Hans Wohlmuth, and Glenda Gobe), Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2007)
Background: The prevalence of chronic renal disease exceeds 10% in industrialized societies. Oxidative damage is...
Comparative chemical analysis of the essential oil constituents in the bark, heartwood and fruits of Cryptocarya massoy (Oken) Kosterm. (Lauraceae) from Papua New Guinea (with Topul Rali and Stewart W. Wossa), Molecules (2007)
Exhaustive hydro-distillation of the bark, heartwood and fruits of Cryptocarya massoy (Lauraceae) afforded pale yellow-coloured...
Elucidation of danzhixiaoyao wan and its constituent herbs on antioxidant activity and inhibition of nitric oxide production (with Hui Liao and Linda K. Banbury), eCam (2007)
Danzhixiaoyao Wan (DW) is a common 10 herbs formulation in China for regulating several clinical...
Conference publications
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....