2. azadriachata indica(neem)

Medicinal properties of Azardica indica(neem)

1. Azadriachata indica ( Neem ) Shailendra Shah Department of pharmaceutical science,pokhara university

2. Introduction Azadirachta indica , commonly known as neem , has attracted worldwide prominence in recent years, owing to its wide range of medicinal properties. Neem has been extensively used in ayurveda , Unani and homeopathic medicine and has become a cynosure of modern medicine. The medicinal utilities have been described especially for neem leaf.

3. Fruits Tree

4. Nomenclature Kingdom : Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order : Rutales Sub order: Rutinae Family : Meliaceae Genus : Azadirachta Species : A. indica Scientific Name : Azadirachta indica Others name : Nimba , Aristha ( sanskrit )

5. Biological Source: Neem consists of the fresh or dried leaves and seed oil of Azadirachta indica . Habitat: It grows mostly in the tropical and semi tropical regions as a wild plant. It is generally found below 3500m altitude. The tree is native to India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, also found in Malaysia and China.

6. Cultivation Neem can be cultivated by the simple means. It can be grown by vegetative means-shoot cuttings. Seeds fully ripen are collected then put in nursery for growing. Neem requires hardly any irrigation. A little irrigation will give good growth for seedlings. It starts flowering from 3rd to 5th year. It May reach up to 50 feet tall. It may grow at minimum rate of 18 inches per year where rate of rainfall is low.

7. Collection Collect mature green yellow fruits. Avoid brown, completely green or damaged fruits. Collect fruit directly from the tree. Do not collect fallen fruits. Fruiting time : june -august

8. Macroscopy Leaves :they are alternate, exstipulate , leaflets 7-17;alternate or oppsite , very shortly stalked, 1-1.5cm long. Color : dark green Odour : typical Taste : bitter shape : lanceonate

9. Bark : The outer bark is thick hard “woody” and entire portion is fairly externally dark brown. Bark varies in thickness according to age and place from where it is taken. Odour : characteristic Taste : bitter

10. Microscopic properties Leaf They have dorsiventral leaf. Covering and glandular trichome on both surfaces. Covering trichomes are uniseriate,3-4 cells long having collapsed cells acute apex and warty (hard rough lump growing on ) cutical . Glandular trichomes are short, unicellular stalk and bicellular or unicellular head. It have anomocytic stomata (irregular celled).

11. Fruit : Pericarp well differentiated into epicarp , mesocarp and endocarp; epidermis more than one layered; squarish to rectangular cells containing yellowishbrown contents and oil droplets; mesocarp , many layered of loosely packed cells with large elongated sclereids scattered in outer layers; endocarp of two distinct layers, outer of closely packed lignified stone cells, inner fibrous, loosely packed, lignified.

12. Seed : Seed kernel shows a thin brown testa , of isodiametric stone cells overlying integument of loosely packed parenchymatous cells; cotyledon consisting of parenchymatous cells containing abundant oil droplets.

13. Medicinal uses of neem Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities: The chloroform extract of stem bark is effective against carrageenin -induced paw oedema in rat and mouse ear inflammation. Inflammatory stomatitis in children is cured by the bark extract. Antipyretic activity has been reported in neem oil. A methanol extract of the leaves exerts antipyretic effect in male rabbits. Immunostimulant activity: The aqueous extract of leaf also possesses potent immunostimulant activity as evidenced by both humoral and cell-mediated responses.

14. Hypoglycaemic activity : Aqueous extract of neem leaves significantly decreases blood sugar level and prevents adrenaline as well as glucose-induced hyperglycaemia . A significant hypoglycaemic effect was also observed by feeding neem oil to fasting rabbits. Antiulcer effect : Neem leaf aqueous extract produces antiulcer effect in rats exposed to restraint – cold stress by preventing mucus depletion and mast cell degranulation . An aqueous extract of neem bark has been shown to possess highly potent antiacid secretory and antiulcer activity.

15. Antifertility effect : Neem oil proved spermicidal against rhesus monkey and human spermatozoa in vitro. In vivo studies showed that intravaginal application of neem oil prior to coitus can prevent pregnancy. The effect is possibly due to activation of cell-mediated immune reaction. Antimalarial activity : Neem seed and leaf extracts are effective against malarial parasites. Recently, neem seed extract and its purified fractions have been shown to inhibit growth and development of drug sensitive and resistant strains of the human malarial parasite P. falciparum .

16. Antifungal activity : Extracts of neem leaf, neem oil and seed kernels are effective against certain human fungi, including Trichophyton , Epidermophyton , Microsporum , Trichosporon , Geotricum and Candida. Antibacterial activity : Oil from the leaves, seeds and bark possesses a wide spectrum of antibacterial action against Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms, including M. tuberculosis and streptomycin resistant strains. In vitro, it inhibits Vibrio cholerae , Klebsiella pneumoniae , M. tuberculosis and M. pyogenes .

17. Antiviral activity : Aqueous leaf extract offers antiviral activity against Vaccinia virus, Chikungemya and measles virus in vitro. NCL-11 inhibits plaque formation in different antigenic types of Coxsackie virus B at a concentration of 1 mg/ml at 96 h in vitro. Anticarcinogenic activity : Neem may exert its chemopreventive effect in the oral mucosa by modulation of glutathione and its metabolizing enzymes. The neem leaf extract exerts its protective effect in Nmethyl -N′-nitro-N- nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) (a carcinogenic material)-induced oxidative stress has also been demonstrated by the reduced formation of lipid peroxides and enhanced level of antioxidants and detoxifying enzymes in the stomach.

18. Hepatoprotective activity : The aqueous extract of neem leaf was found to offer protection against paracetamol induced liver necrosis in rats. The elevated levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) indicative of liver damage, were found to be significantly reduced on administration of the neem leaf aqueous extract. Antioxidant activity : The antioxidant activity of neem seed extract has been demonstrated in vivo during horsegrain germination, which is associated with low levels of lipooxygenase activity and lipid peroxides. An antioxidant principle has also been isolated, which is a potent inhibitor of plant lipooxygenases .

19. Chemical constituents Various parts of plant is used for various therapeutic and commercial purposes due to presence of different types of chemicals in different parts of this plant. Some of them being : leafs: quercetin , nimbosterol , nimbin . Flowers: nimbosterol , kaempferol , melicitrin . Bark: nimbin , nimbidin , nombosterol , margosine . Seed: azadirachtin , azadiradione , nimbin , vepinin , vilasinin , fraxinellone .

20. Fig:Azadirachtin

21. Fig:Quercetin

22. Fig:Nimbin

23. Fig:Nimbosterol

24. Pharmacopoeal standards Foreign mattaer nil Total ash 9.7% Acid insoluble ash 1.7% Water soluble ash 7.7% Alcohol soluble extractive 8.18% Water soluble extractive 13.5%

25. Traditional uses Neem is known to have antipyretic properties and it has been used traditionally for a long time to lower high fever. An extract obtained from the leaves or bark has both antibacterial and antiviral effect, with little or no toxicity. The extract has been used internally as a treatment for asthma, sore throat, tuberculosis, eczema, jaundice, stomach ulcers, diabetes, arthritis, and rheumatism.

26. The bark is bitter and has astringent properties and a decoction made from it can be used as a remedy for hemorrhoids. A juice, or an extract from the leaves, can also be used externally on wounds, boils, rashes, acne, ringworm, chicken pox, herpes, eczema and psoriasis, and as eye drops. The branches can be chewed on to clean the teeth, strengthen the gums and prevent gum inflammation. The oil has astringent and anti-inflammatory properties which can make it helpful in the healing of wounds and other minor skin injuries and to ease muscle and joint pain

27. Commercial value Neem has high commercial value. Its every part has commercial importance as each part has medicinal as well as domestic use. Nowadays pharmaceutical companies use neem for productin of the dugs. Its consumption and price is heavily raising. Various organization in their initial projects priced neem oil at 15$ a litre and the price rised to $48 a litre , in past few months.

28. Formulations NATURE NEEM OIL(100% cold pressed pure neem oil): Nature Neem oil is used in the preparation of bio pesticides and insecticide and effective against a number of  insecticide- resistant pest and  doesn’t harm the beneficial insects . TOTAL CARE ( neem oil water soluble): neem oil for pesticidal applications. NUTRAZA( neem organic fertilizer): neems organic supplements in pellets and liquid. NEEM GUARD Nature Neem Ayurvedic Soaps , Neem baby oil, Neem face pack etc.

29. References Biswas K,Chattopadhyay I, et.al(2002) Biological activities and medicinal properties of neem ( Azadirachta indica ), Department of Physiology, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, page(1336-1343)vol82. Ram H.Y.M and Nair N.M.B(1993), Neem botany in: Neem Research and Development Society of Pesticide Science New Delhi(India)p6-26. Puri H.S.(1999), Neem : The Divine Tree Azadirachta indica , Hartwood Acaedemic Press, Armsterdam .