Azadirachta indica
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Common Name
Margosa, Nim, Limba, Nimba and Indian lilac .
Origin:-
India
Description
Azadirachta indica, or Neem Tree, is an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. The tree will reach up to 100 feet (~30 m) tall with limbs reaching half as wide. It is widely used in toothpastes, soaps and lotion today, as well as being a biological insecticide. It has long history in the Indian Ayurveda. It is the member of Meliaceae family.
Pharmacological Properties
Neem fruits, seeds, oil, leaves, bark and roots have such uses as general antiseptics, antimicrobials, treatment of urinary disorders, diarrhea, fever and bronchitis, skin diseases, septic sores, infected burns, hypertension and inflammatory diseases.
Neem has proved effective against 14 genera of fungi that infect the human body e.g. Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, Microsporum,Trichosporon,Geotrichum, Candida .
The bark is cool, bitter, astringent, acrid and refrigerant. It is useful in tiredness, cough, fever, loss of appetite, worm infestations. Twigs have been used as a ‘toothbrush’ and for dental care, since antiquity. Neem toothpaste has been on sale in the US and Germany.
According to Ayurveda, Neem leaves help in the treatment of Vatik disorders( neuromuscular pains) ,remove toxins, purify blood and prevent damage caused by free radicals. A paste made with leaves is used in India for the cure of chicken pox, smallpox and warts.
Neem fruits are bitter, purgative, antihemorrhodial and anthelmintic (vermifuge) in nature.
. Stringent laboratory condition tests have proved the efficacy of Neem in destroying fungi, parasites and viruses without killing off beneficial intestinal flora.
Neem has been found to reduce insulin requirements by up to 50% for diabetics, without altering blood glucose levels