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Azadirachta indica

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Neem
Azadirachta indica, flowers & leaves
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
Order:
Sapindales
Family:
Meliaceae
Genus:
Azadirachta
Species:
A. indica
Binomial name
Azadirachta indica
Synonyms

Antelaea azadirachta (L.) Adelb.

Azadirachta indica (नीम Neem (Hindi), নিম Nim (Bangla) is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil.

Neem is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15–20 metres (49–66 ft), rarely to 35–40 metres (115–131 ft). It is evergreen, but in 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 metres (49–66 ft) in old, free-standing specimens.

Name in other languages

The English name neem is borrowed from Hindi; in English it is also known as Indian Lilac. The Hindi name is the same as that used in Nepali, Urdu, and Bengali (নিম). Other vernacular names include Nimm (Punjabi), Vembu (Tamil), Arya Veppu (Malayalam), Azad Dirakht (Persian), Nimba (Sanskrit, Oriya), Limdo (Gujarati language) Kadu-Limba (Marathi), Dongoyaro (in some Nigerian languages), Margosa, Neeb (Arabic), Nimtree, Vepu (వేపు), Vempu (వెంపు), Vepa (వేప) (Telugu), Bevu( ಕಹಿ ಬೇವು (Kannada), Kodu nimb (Konkani), කොහොඹ (Kohomba, Sinhala), Tamar (Burmese), sầu đâu, xoan Ấn Độ (Vietnamese), ស្ដៅ (Sdao, Khmer), สะเดา (Sadao, Thai), אזדרכת (Hebrew), "Maliyirinin" (Bambara language) and Paraiso (Spanish). In East Africa it is also known as Muarubaini (Swahili), which means the tree of the 40, as it is said to treat 40 different diseases, and in Somalia it is known as Geed Hindi which means "the Indian tree".

Leaves

The opposite, pinnate leaves are 20–40 centimetres (7.9–15.7 in) long, with 20 to 31 medium to dark green leaflets about 3–8 centimetres (1.2–3.1 in) long. The terminal leaflet is often missing. The petioles are short. These leaves are also used in many Indian festivals (by making them into garlands). The leaves are used in Pakistan to give baths to children suffering from skin diseases.The leaves are used in this manner that first they are washed thoroughly. Then 5- 10 leaves along with the branch are boiled till the water turns green The water is then used for varying purposes. Elders find it useful in controlling high blood sugar level and is said to clean up the blood. Neem is also used to give baths to the Muslim dead. Neem leaves are dried in Pakistan and placed in cupboards to prevent insects eating the clothes. Neem leaves are dried and burnt in the tropical regions of Pakistan to keep away mosquitoes.

Flowers

The (white and fragrant) flowers are arranged axillary, normally in more-or-less drooping panicles which are up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long. The inflorescences, which branch up to the third degree, bear from 150 to 250 flowers. An individual flower is 5–6 millimetres (0.20–0.24 in) long and 8–11 millimetres (0.31–0.43 in) wide. Protandrous, bisexual flowers and male flowers exist on the same individual. its leaf is aprox. 5 to 10 cm. long

Fruit

The fruit is a smooth (glabrous) olive-like drupe which varies in shape from elongate oval to nearly roundish, and when ripe are 1.4–2.8 centimetres (0.55–1.10 in) by 1.0–1.5 centimetres (0.39–0.59 in). The fruit skin (exocarp) is thin and the bitter-sweet pulp (mesocarp) is yellowish-white and very fibrous. The mesocarp is 0.3–0.5 centimetres (0.12–0.20 in) thick. The white, hard inner shell (endocarp) of the fruit encloses one, rarely two or three, elongated seeds (kernels) having a brown seed coat.

The neem tree is very similar in appearance to its relative, the Chinaberry (Melia azedarach). The Chinaberry tree is toxic to most animals, especially to fish, but birds are known to gorge themselves on the Chinaberries, the seeds passing harmlessly through their unique digestive systems.

Ecology

The neem tree is noted for its drought resistance. Normally it thrives in areas with sub-arid to sub-humid conditions, with an annual rainfall 400–1,200 millimetres (16–47 in). It can grow in regions with an annual rainfall below 400 mm, but in such cases it depends largely on ground water levels. Neem can grow in many different types of soil, but it thrives best on well drained deep and sandy soils. It is a typical tropical to subtropical tree and exists at annual mean temperatures between 21–32 °C (70–90 °F). It can tolerate high to very high temperatures and does not tolerate temperature below 4 °C (39 °F). Neem is a life-giving tree, especially for the dry coastal, southern districts of India and Pakistan. It is one of the very few shade-giving trees that thrive in the drought-prone areas. The trees are not at all delicate about the water quality and thrive on the merest trickle of water, whatever the quality. In India it is very common to see neem trees used for shade lining the streets or in most people's back yards. In very dry areas the trees are planted in large tracts of land.

Weed status

Neem is considered a weed in many areas, including some parts of the Middle East, and most of Sub-Saharan Africa including West Africa where in Senegal it has been used as a malarial drug and Tanzania and other Indian Ocean states where in Kiswahili it is known as 'the panacea', literally 'the tree that cures forty [diseases]', where ayurvedic uses are practiced.

Ecologically, it survives well in similar environments to its own, for example replacing the babul acacia tree from India with African acacia species.

Chemical compounds

Indian scientists were the first to bring the plant to the attention of phytopharmacologists.[citation needed] In 1942, at the Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory at Delhi University, three bitter compounds were extracted from neem oil, which were named nimbin, nimbinin, and nimbidin.[1] The seeds contain a complex secondary metabolite azadirachtin.

Uses

Nim tree
  • All parts of the tree are said to have medicinal properties (seeds, leaves, flowers and bark) and are used for preparing many different medical preparations.
  • The chemical constituents nimbidin and nimbin have some spermicidal activity[2]
  • Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics (soap, neem shampoo, balms and creams such as Margo soap) and many oral health products.
  • Besides its use in traditional Indian medicine, the neem tree is of great importance for its anti-desertification properties and possibly as a good carbon dioxide sink.[citation needed]
  • Practitioners of traditional Indian medicine recommend that patients with chicken pox sleep on neem leaves.
  • Neem gum is used as a bulking agent and for the preparation of special purpose food.
  • Traditionally, slender neem branches have been chewed to clean one's teeth. Neem twigs are still collected and sold in markets for this use, and in India one often sees youngsters in the streets chewing on neem twigs(for the neem twigs and branches have great dental effects).
  • Neem blossoms are used in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to prepare Ugadi pachhadi. "Bevina hoovina gojju" (a type of curry prepared with neem blossoms) is common in Karnataka throughout the year. Dried blossoms are used when fresh blossoms are not available. In Tamilnadu, a rasam (veppam poo rasam) made with neem blossoms is a culinary specialty.
  • A mixture of neem flowers and bella (jaggery or unrefined brown sugar) is prepared and offered to friends and relatives, symbolic of sweet and bitter events in the upcoming new year.
  • Extract of neem leaves is thought to be helpful as malaria prophylaxis despite the fact that no comprehensive clinical studies are yet available. In several cases, private initiatives in Senegal were successful in preventing malaria.[3] However, major NGOs and other organizations such as USAID are not supposed to use neem tree extracts unless the medical benefit has been proved with clinical studies.
  • Neem extracts as insecticides. Neem products are unique in that they are not outright killers. Instead, they alter an insects behaviour or life processes in ways that can be extremely subtle. Eventually, however, the insect can no longer feed or breed or metamorphose & can cause no further damage.
  • Azadirachtin : One of the first active ingredients isolated from neem, Azadirachtin has proved to be the trees main agent for battling insects. It appears to cause some 90% of the effect on most pests.
  • Fungicides : Neem has proved effective against certain fungi that infect the human body. Such fungi are an increasing problems & have been difficult to control by synthetic fungicides.
  • Antibacterials : In trials neem oil has suppressed several species of pathogenic bacteria including Staphylococcus & Salmonella spp.
  • Antiviral agents : In India, there is much interesting, but anecdotal information attributing antiviral activity of Neem. Its efficacy particularly against pox viruses is strongly believed, even among those of advanced medical training. Small pox, chicken pox have traditionally been treated with a paste of neem leaves – usually rubbed directly on to the infected skin.
  • Dermatological Insects : In India, villagers apply neem oil to the hair to kill head lice, reportedly with great success. Neem seed oil and leaf extracts may be the wonder cure for psoriasis. It relieves the itching and pain while reducing the scale and redness of the patchy lesions.
  • Dental Treatments : In India, millions of people use twigs as "tooth brushes" every day. Dentists have endorsed this ancient practice, finding it effective in preventing periodontal disease.
  • Malaria : Practitioners of the Indian Ayurvedic Medicine system have been preparing neem in oral doses for malarial patients for centuries. Neem's antimalarial activity was reported in Ayurveda books as far back as 2000 BC by Charaka & 1500 BC by Sushruta.
  • Pain Relief & Fever Reduction : Neem may also be a ready source of low cost analgesic (pain relieving), or antipyretic (fever reducing) compounds. In trials, positive results have been obtained for significant analgesic, antipyretic & anti-inflammatory effects.
  • Contraceptive Agents : Indian scientists from the Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS) have applied for patents on chemicals isolated from the neem oil which have proved to be promising contraceptive agents which are DK-1 & DNM-5. A third active agent coded as DNM-7 acts as an abortifacient causing abortion if administered orally after implantation has already occurred. A Neem oil formulation called "Sensal" is now sold in India for contraceptive purposes.
  • Veterinary Medicine : Ancient practice & initial testing of neem derivatives against various livestock pests indicated that this is an area of particular promise for the future. Insects of veterinary importance are obvious targets for neem products.
  • Cosmetics : Neem is perceived in India as a beauty aid. Powdered leaves are a major component of at least one widely used facial cream. Purified neem oil is also used in nail polish & other cosmetics.
  • Lubricants : Neem oil is non drying and it resists degradation better than most vegetable oils. In rural India, it is commonly used to grease cart wheels.
  • Fertilizers : Neem has demonstrated considerable potential as a fertilizer. Neem cake is widely used to fertilize cash crops particularly sugarcane & vegetables. Ploughed into the soil, it protects plant roots from nematodes & white ants, probably due to its contents of the residual limonoids. In Karnataka, people grow the tree mainly for its green leaves & twigs, which they puddle into flooded rice fields before the rice seedlings are transplanted.
  • Resin : An exudate can be tapped from the trunk by woundings the bark. This high protein material is not a substitute for polysaccharide gum, such as gum arabic. It may however, have a potential as a food additive, and it is widely used in South Asia as "Neem glue".
  • Bark : Neem bark contains 14% tannins, an amount similar to that in conventional tannin yieldings tree (such as Acacia decurrens). Moreover, it yields a strong, coarse fibre commonly woven into ropes in the villages of India.
  • Honey : In parts of Asia neem honey commands premium prices & people promote apiculture / apiary by planting neem trees.
  • Neem fruits : The fruits are recommended for urinary diseases, piles, intestinal worms, leprosy etc. The dry fruits are bruised in water & employed to treat cutaneous diseases.
  • Soap : India's supply of neem oil is now used mostly by soap manufacturers. Although much of it goes to small scale speciality soaps, large scale producers also use it, mainly because it is cheap. Generally, the crude oil is used to produce coarse laundry soaps.
  • Neem Leaf Tea : Several companies have started processing neem leaves for Tea production and selling as neem leaf Tea. Although it tastes bitter, in the long run it may catch up with the masses especially to the health conscious people.

Medicinal Use

In India, the plant is variously known as "Sacred Tree," "Heal All," "Nature's Drugstore," "Village Pharmacy" and "Panacea for all diseases". Products made from neem trees have been used in India for over two millennia for their medicinal properties: neem products are believed to be anthelmintic, antifungal, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiviral, contraceptive and sedative.[4][unreliable source?] Neem products are also used in selectively controlling pests in plants. It is considered a major component in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine and is particularly prescribed for skin disease.[5]

Pest and disease control

Neem is a key ingredient in non-pesticidal management (NPM), providing a natural alternative to synthetic pesticides. Neem seeds are ground into a powder that is soaked overnight in water and sprayed onto the crop. To be effective, it is necessary to apply repeatedly, at least every ten days. Neem does not directly kill insects on the crop. It acts as an anti-feedant, repellent, and egg-laying deterrent, protecting the crop from damage. The insects starve and die within a few days. Neem also suppresses the hatching of pest insects from their eggs. Neem cake is often sold as a fertilizer.[6]

As a vegetable

The tender shoots and flowers of the neem tree are eaten as a vegetable in India. A souplike dish called Veppampoo Rasam (Tamil) (translated as "neem flower rasam") made of the flower of neem is prepared in Tamil Nadu. In West Bengal, young neem leaves are fried in oil with tiny pieces of eggplant (brinjal). The dish is called nim begun and is the first item during a Bengali meal that acts as an appetizer.[7] It is eaten with rice.

Neem is used in parts of mainland Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia, Laos (where it is called kadao), Thailand (where it is known as sadao or sdao), Myanmar (where it is known as tamar) and Vietnam (where it is known as sầu đâu and is used to cook the salad gỏi sầu đâu). Even lightly cooked, the flavour is quite bitter and the food is not enjoyed by all inhabitants of these nations, though it is believed to be good for one's health. Neem gum is a rich source of protein. In Myanmar, young neem leaves and flower buds are boiled with tamarind fruit to soften its bitterness and eaten as a vegetable. Pickled neem leaves are also eaten with tomato and fish paste sauce in Myanmar.

Association with Hindu festivals in India

Mariamman temple festival in Tamil nadu.

Neem leaf or bark is considered an effective pitta pacifier due to its bitter taste. Hence, it is traditionally recommended during early summer in Ayurveda (that is, the month of Chaitra as per the Hindu Calendar which usually falls in the month of March – April).

In the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Neem flowers are very popular for their use in 'Ugadi Pachhadi' (soup-like pickle), which is made on Ugadi day.

During Gudi Padva, which is the New Year in the state of Maharashtra, the ancient practice of drinking a small quantity of neem juice or paste on that day, before starting festivities, is found. As in many Hindu festivals and their association with some food to avoid negative side-effects of the season or change of seasons, neem juice is associated with Gudi Padva to remind people to use it during that particular month or season to pacify summer pitta.

In Tamilnadu during the summer months of April to June, the Mariamman temple festival is a thousand year old tradition. The Neem leaves and flowers are the most important part of the Mariamman festival. The goddess Mariamman statue will be garlanded with Neem leaves and flowers. During most occasions of celebrations and weddings the people of Tamilnadu adorn their surroundings with the Neem leaves and flowers as a form of decoration and also to ward off evil spirits and infections.

In the eastern coastal state of Orissa the famous Jagannath temple idols are made up of Neem heart wood along with some other essential oils and powders.

Patent controversy

In 1995, the European Patent Office (EPO) granted a patent on an anti-fungal product derived from neem to the US Department of Agriculture and W. R. Grace and Company.[8] The Indian government challenged the patent when it was granted, claiming that the process for which the patent had been granted had actually been in use in India for over 2,000 years. In 2000, the EPO ruled in India's favour but W. R. Grace appealed, claiming that prior art about the product had never been published in a scientific journal. On 8 March 2005, that appeal was lost and the EPO revoked the Neem patent.[8]

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Azadirachta indica.

See also

References

  1. ^ Ganguli, S. (2002). "Neem: A therapeutic for all seasons". Current Science. 82(11), June. p. 1304.
  2. ^ Kausik Biswas, Ishita Chattopadhyay, Ranajit K. Banerjee and Uday Bandyopadhyay. "Biological activities and medicinal properties of neem (Azadirachta indica)" (PDF). Current Science. 82 (11).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Al Jazeera report on neem tree treatment in Senegal
  4. ^ Medicinal properties of Neem
  5. ^ S. Zillur Rahman and M. Shamim Jairajpuri. Neem in Unani Medicine. Neem Research and Development Society of Pesticide Science, India, New Delhi, February 1993, p. 208-219. Edited by N.S. Randhawa and B.S. Parmar. 2nd revised edition (chapter 21), 1996
  6. ^ Material Fact Sheets — Neem
  7. ^ "Neem Baigan". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  8. ^ a b "India wins landmark patent battle". BBC. 9 March 2005. Retrieved 2 October 2009. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

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