Botanical name: Azadirachta
indica
Family: Meliaceae (Neem family)
Synonyms: Melia azadirachta,
Antelaea azadirachta
Geographical distribution
The plant is a native of
India and occurs throughout the country. It is also cultivated as a common
road-side plant.
Introduction Neem is native to
India and Burma. It is the state tree of Andhra Pradesh. Neem is a fast growing
tree that can reach a height of 15-20 m, rarely to 35-40 m. It is evergreen but
under severe drought it may shed most or nearly all of its leaves. The branches
are wide spread. The fairly dense crown is roundish or oval and may reach the
diameter of 15-20 m in old, free-standing specimens. The trunk is relatively short,
straight and may reach a diameter of 1.2 m. The bark is hard, fissured or
scaly, and whitish-grey to reddish-brown. The sapwood is greyish-white and the
heartwood reddish when first exposed to the air becoming reddish-brown after
exposure. The root system consists of a strong taproot and well developed
lateral roots. The alternate, pinnate leaves are 20-40 cm long, with 20-31
medium to dark green leaflets about 3-8 cm long. The shape of mature leaflets
is more or less asymmetric and their margins are serrated. The flowers (white
and fragrant) are arranged axillary, normally more-or-less drooping panicles
which are up to 25 cm long. The inflorescences, which branch up to the third
degree, bear 150-250 flowers. An individual flower is 5-6 mm long and 8-11 mm
wide.The fruit is a glabrous olive-like drupe which varies in shape from
elongate oval to nearly roundish, and when ripe are 1.4-2.8 x 1.0-1.5 cm. But
Neem is far more than a tough tree that grows vigorously in difficult sites.
Among its many benefits, the one that is most unusual and immediately practical
is the control of farm and household pests. Some entomologists now conclude
that neem has such remarkable powers for controlling insects that it will usher
in a new era in safe,natural pesticides
Chemical composition
The bark contains nimbin,
nimbinin, nimbidin, nimbosterol, volatile oil, margosin and tannin. The seed
contains sulphur, glycosides and fatty acids.
Therapeutic uses
The bark is a bitter tonic,
astringent and is useful in intermittent fevers, in skin
diseases. The leaves are bitter and are largely applied on skin diseases and
boils; a decoction of leaves is also taken internally.The antibiotic activity
of leaves and roots of the tree and their utility in skin
diseases have been confirmed
experimentally. The fruit is highly recommended for urinary diseases, piles,
intestinal worms and leprosy.
Folk medicinal uses
In case of severe headache,
4 drops of juice of Neem leaves are mixed in equal quantity of Sesamum oil and
dropped in the nostrils of the patient to treat severe headache instantly.
For curing intermittent
fever, decoction of 20-gm. stem bark of Neem is given three times a day for 5-7
days continuously. In case of worms, among children, 5-ml. of fruit and leaf
juice of Neem is given once in the morning for 3-4 days as an anthelmintic. Young
shoots of Neem alongwith 3-4 leaves of Nycthanthes arbortristis and 8-10
black pepper (Piper nigrum) are made into decoction. This is given in
the dose of 5-ml. twice a day for three days only in cases of malaria. Bark and
young branches are used as toothbrush for curing pyorrhoea and inflammation of
gums. A liquid is obtained from the trunk of 50 yrs. Neem tree, which oozes out
from the trunk and is collected and called Amrit-gel. The said liquid have
imminent medicinal properties and given in blood diseases and tuberculosis.
Preparations
Nimbarista, nimbadi-churna and nimbharidra-khand.
Flowers : March-May Fruits : May-July
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