MEDICINAL PROPERTY OF NEEM

NEEM

The neem tree, Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (also referred to as Melia azadirachta L.,Melia indica Brandis, Indian lilac, Pioneering work on the isolation and identification of neem constituents was initiated in India in 1942 and has continued.

Leaves have been shown to contain crude fibre (11-24%), carbohydrates (48-5 1%), crude protein (14-18%), fat (2.3-6.9%), ash (7.7-8.5%), calcium (0.8-2.4%), and phosphorus (0.134.24%) (Keher and Nagi, 1949), as well as a number of amino acids including the 10 essential ones (Dakshinmurthi 1954; Mitra and Misra 1967).

Neem oil is rich in fatty acids (Skellon et al. 1962), and neem cake (the solid residue following explusion of the oil) has a high sulphur content relative to other oil cakes (Sinha 1960).

Constituents have been isolated from different parts of the tree and their structures have been elucidated. These include protolimonoids, limonoids or tetranortriterpenoids, pentanortriterpenoids, hexanortriterpenoids, and nontriterpenoidal constituents.

PharmacoIogicaI properties

Neem oil and its isolates, nimbidiol, nimbidin, and diethyl sulfides, are well known to control mycobacteria (Murthy and Sirsi 1958a; Virtanen 1965) and pathogens, including

Certain organosulphur compounds,such as the sulfom dapsone,have been found to be potent antileprotic agents. These sulfones (Gupta and

Joshi 1983) along with aqueous leaf extracts at 0.1-0.2 gkg (oral dose in mice) also act as antimalarial substances(Obaseki and Jegede-Fadunsin 1986).

Analgesic and antipyretic effects of neem components are also encouraging.

Anti-Viral properties

Aqueous neem leaf extract exerts antiviral activity against Vaccinia virus, Chikungunya and measles virus in vitro (Rao et al).

Anti-Fungal properties

The antifungal activity of neem has been attributed to volatile sulfides, and the limonoid gedumin.

Anti-Bacterial properties

The oil from the neem leaves is recognized to possess antibacterial activity against a wide spectrum of Gramnegative and Gram-positive microorganisms, including M.tuberculosis and Streptomycin-resistant strains.

The antipyretic effect of neem leaf extract has been attributed to nimbidine.

Anti-cancer properties

Neem leaf preparations have been reported to possess anticancer properties. queous as well as alcoholic  extracts of neem leaf effectively suppressed DMBA-induced HBP carcinogenesis by modulating the cellular redox status as well as carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes in the target organ, as well as in host liver and blood.

Antihypertensive and Antihyperglycaemic Effects

An alcoholic extract of neem leaf has been reported to produce a significant and dose-related fall in blood pressure.

Aqueous neem leaf extract has been found to reduce blood glucose levels and prevent adrenaline and glucose induced hyperglycaemia.

Van der Nat et al suggested that the antidiabetic effect of neem maybe attributed to the release of endogenous insulin by a mechanism similar to that reported for sulphonylurea.

Dr. SYED ABDUL RASHEED
BUMS (INDORE)