Don't forget the bitter gem "NEEM"

The neem tree is a tropical evergreen tree,  native to Indian sub-continent also called as Azadirachta indica, belongs to the family meliaceae, it has been used in ayurvedic medicine for more than 4000 years due to its medicinal properties. Neem is called arista in Sanskrit a word that means perfect, complete and imperishable. Most of the plant parts such as fruits, seeds, leaves bark and root contain compounds with proven antiseptic, antiviral, antipyretic, anti inflammatory, antiulcer and antifungal uses. The benefits of Neem listed in ancient documents 'charak samhita' and 'susruta Samhita' , which form the foundation of the Indian system of natural treatment,  Ayurveda, it is commonly called Indian Li lac or margosa.

                    The plant is reported to live up to two centuries,  the pH range for the growth of neem tree lies in between 4 to 10, Neem trees have the ability to neutralize acidic soil by a unique property of calcium mining.

                   The non wood products of neem like flowers, fruits, seeds (oil,cake), leaves,  bark and  gum also find various uses. The antifungal, antibacterial, insecticidal and other versatile biological activities of these products are well established, because of which they find multipurpose use in daily life of humans. The most useful and valuable product of the tree are the seeds which used 40% of a deep yellow oil, the well-known margosa oil.

Neem products and their uses

1- seeds - yield oil and cake

• Neem oil - medicinal uses, analgesic anticholinergics,  antihelminthic,  antihistaminic, antiprotozoal, antipyretic,  antiviral, bactericidal, contraceptives, fungicides, insecticides, insect repellent and veterinary medicines. Technicaly used in cosmetics, hair oil, lubricants, shampoo, soaps, tooth paste.
• Neem cake - animal feed, soil fertilizer, soil moisturizer,  Soil neutralizer, soil protectant.

2 - Leaves - Antidermatic, Antifungal, Anticlotting agent, Antihelminthic, Anti tuberculosis, Anti tumor, Antiseptic, Antiviral, nematicides, insect repellent, contraceptive, cosmetics.

3 - Twigs - oral deodorant, toothache reliever, tooth cleaner

4 - flowers - Analgesic, curries, nectaries, soaps, stimulant.

 

Some medical uses :-

1. Antifertility activity of neem

    Neem has long been documented to have antifertility in males. oral administration of ethanolic extract of neem to adult male lice at 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg or 2.0 mg per kilogram body weight for 6 weeks, interfered with sperm DNA and caused chromosome strand breakage, spindle disturbance and deregulation of genes responsible for sperm morphology. A linear decrease in the percentage of sperm motility motility was observed with various concentration (1 - 50 mg per 1 million sperm), neem leaf extract has spermatotoxic effect, the leaf extracts of neem should 100 % immobilize and mortality of human spermatozoa at 3 mg dose within 20 sec.

2. Anti bacterial activity of neem

    The susceptibility of microorganism to the extract of neem leaves was compared with certain specific antibiotics. The methanol extract of Azadirachta Indica exhibited pronounced activity against bacillus subtilis, neem oil preparation have been found effective against a wide spectrum of bacteria and neem leaf & seed have anti dermatophytic activity against dermatophytes.

3. Antifungal activity

   Extract of neem leaf, Neem Oil, seed kernels are effective against certain fungi including trichophyton, epidermophyton, microsportricho, geotricum and candida.

4. Antiviral activity

     Aqueous leaf extract offers antiviral activity against vaccina virus, chikunguniya and measles virus.

5. Anti malarial activity

    Neem is used to treat malarial fever in Ayurvedic medicine system. Neem Oil treated mosquito nets and mosquito repellent tablet are now available in the north east India. Gedunin (a liminoids) obtained from neem has activity similar to quinine against malarial pathogen. Tablet suspension of the bark and leaf of neem showed moderate effect against malarial pathogen, plasmodium SP, an active ingredient irodin A, isolated from neem leaves is toxic to causative strains of malaria.

6. Anti-ulcer activity

    The bark extract completely healed duodenal ulcer when administered at the dose of 30 - 60 mg twice daily for 10 weeks. Neem bark extract had potential of controlling gastric hyposecretion and Gastro oesophageal and gastroduodenal ulcer.  Furthermore, they compared the bark extract with known antiulcer drugs Ranitidine and Omeprazole in the PL and the stress ulcer model and found the extract was almost equipotent to the standard drugs.

7. Insect repellent

    Azadirachtin is a powerful insect antifeedant that disrupt metamorphosis in moth Larvae at extremely low concentration. A number of studies has shown that Neem compounds are more effective insect repellent then the widely used synthetic chemical known as N.N-diethyl-m.toluamide, a suspected carcinogen.

8. Improves oral health

    German researcher have proven Neem extracts prevent tooth decay and periodontal disease, leading to good oral health, neem leaf extract has a antimicrobial effect, neem is a popular ingredient in mouthwash and toothpastes.

9. In AIDS

   The National Institute of Health reports Neem extract killed the AIDS virus, Acetone-water neem leaf extract should antiretroviral activity through inhibition of cytoadhesion. The extract increased hemoglobin concentration, mean CD4+ cell count and erythrocytes sedimentation rate in HIV/AIDS patients, enhancement of antibody production and cellular mediated response by neem components helps in treatment of AIDS.

10. Anti cancer activity

    Neem extracts show chemo preventive and anti-tumor effects in different type of cancer. Two bioactive component in neem   azadirachtin & nimbdide, have been studied extensively.  The key anti-cancer effects of neem include inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell death, suppression of cancer angiogenesis, Restoration of cellular reduction/oxidation balance and enhancement of the host immune responsive against tumor cells,  neem leaf aqueous extract effectively suppresses oral squamous cell carcinoma.

11. In skin care

    Neem has a curative effect on chronic skin conditions that have not been successfully helped through conventional medical treatment, acne, dry skin, dandruff Psoriasis, Eczema, herpes, shingles and ringworm. All havebeen shown to respond to lotion, made with neem.

12. Help in lowering of high blood pressure and sugar level

Good antioxidant activity was observed with neem leaf aqueous extract, flower and stem bark, ethanolic extract. Administration of aqueous extract of neem along with  DOCA salt prevented the development of hypertension in rates.

                     Aqueous extract of neem leaves significantly decreases blood sugar level and prevent adrenaline as well as glucose-induced hyperglycemia, recently hypoglycemic effect was observed with leaf extract and seed oil, in normal as well as alloxan induced diabetic rabbits.

               So the neem is called solution of almost all diseases, means curer of all ailments, in rural India delivery Chambers are fumigated with burning bark of neem ,in India several viral diseases are treated with neem, it also boost immunity of human being,  neem leaf paste has been used to treat small pox, chicken pox and warts, owing to its versatile characteristics neem is rightly called the doctor tree, national research Council Washington USA considered the neem  "one of the most promising of all plants" and the fact is that it may eventually benefits every person on this planet, probably no other plant yields as many strange and varied products or has has many exploitable by-product.