NEEM

Azadirachta

indica (Neem) is a tree in the mahogany

family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the
genus Azadirachta, and is native
to India, Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,Malaysia and Pakistan,
growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Other vernacular
names include Neem (Hindi, Urdu), Nim ((Bengali)), Nimm
(Punjabi), Arya Veppu (Malayalam), Azad Dirakht (Persian), Nimba
(Sanskrit, Oriya), Kadu-Limba (Marathi), DogonYaro (in
someNigerian languages), Margosa, Neeb (Arabic), Nimtree,
Vepu, Vempu, Vepa (Telugu), Bevu (Kannada), Kohomba
(Sinhala), Vembu (Tamil), Tamar (Burmese), sầu đâu, xoan Ấn Độ
(Vietnamese), Paraiso (Spanish), and Indian Lilac (English). In
East Africa it is also known asMuarubaini (Swahili), which
means the tree of the 40, as it is said to treat 40 different
diseases.

Neem is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15–20 m

(about 50–65 feet), rarely to 35–40 m (115–131 feet). 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 the diameter of 15–20 m in old, free-standing specimens.

Trunk
The trunk is relatively short, straight and may reach a diameter of
1.2 m (about 4 feet).It is classified as a bush but it is not very
weak.

Leaves

The opposite, pinnate leaves are 20–40 cm (8 to 16 in.) long,

with 20 to 31 medium to dark green leaflets about 3–8 cm (1 to 3
in.) long. The terminal leaflet is often missing. The petioles are
short. Very young leaves are reddish to purplish in colour. The
shape of mature leaflets is more or less asymmetric and their
margins are dentate with the exception of the base of their
basiscopal half, which is normally very or wedge-shaped.

Flowers

The (white and fragrant) flowers are arranged axillary, normally

in more-or-less drooping panicles which are up to 25 cm (10 in.)
long. Theinflorescences, which branch up to the third degree,
bear from 150 to 250 flowers. An individual flower is 5–6 mm long
and 8–11 mm wide.Protandrous, bisexual flowers and male
flowers exist on the same individual.

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 x 1.0-1.5 cm. 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 cm 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 the Chinaberry, all
parts of which are extremely poisonous to mammals, while birds
are known to gorge themselves on the berries, 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 between 400 and 1200 mm. 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. It can tolerate
high to very high temperatures and does not tolerate
temperature below 4 °C . Neem is a life-giving tree, especially for
the dry coastal, southern districts of India. 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 Africawhere 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 acaciaspecies.

Chemical compounds

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

UseS

In India, the tree is variously known as "Sacred Tree," "Heal All,"

"Nature's Drugstore," "Village Pharmacy" and "Panacea for all
diseases." Products made from neem tree have been used in
India for over two millennia for their medicinal properties: Neem
products have been observed to be anthelmintic,
antifungal, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiviral, contraceptive and
sedative.[1] 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.[2]
 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.
 Part of the Neem tree can be used as a spermicide[3]
 Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics (soap, shampoo,
balms and creams, for example Margo soap), and is useful for
skin care such as acne treatment, and keeping skin elasticity.
Neem oil has been found to be an effective mosquito repellent.
 Neem derivatives neutralise nearly 500 pests worldwide,
including insects, mites, ticks, and nematodes, by affecting
their behaviour and physiology. Neem does not normally kill
pests right away, rather it repels them and affects their
growth. As neem products are cheap and non-toxic to higher
animals and most beneficial insects, they are well-suited for
pest control in rural areas.
 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.
 Practitioners of traditional Indian medicine recommend that
patients suffering from chicken pox sleep on neem leaves.
 Neem gum is used as a bulking agent and for the
preparation of special purpose food (for diabetics).
 Aqueous extracts of neem leaves have demonstrated
significant antidiabetic potential.
 Traditionally, slender neem branches were chewed in order
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.
  A decoction prepared from neem roots is ingested to
relieve fever in traditional Indian medicine.
 Neem leaf paste is applied to the skin to treat acne, and in a
similar vein is used for measles and chicken pox sufferers.
 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 speciality.

 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.
[4]
However, major NGOs such as USAID are not supposed to use
neem tree extracts unless the medical benefit has been proved
with clinical studies.

Uses in pest and disease control

Neem is deemed very effective in the treatment of scabies,

although only preliminary scientific proof, which still has to be
corroborated, exists,[citation needed]
and is recommended for those
who are sensitive to permethrin, a known insecticide which might
be an irritant. Also, the scabies mite has yet to become resistant
to neem, so in persistent cases neem has been shown to be very
effective. There is also anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness in
treating infestations of head lice in humans. A tea made of boiled
neem leaves, sometimes combined with other herbs such as
ginger, can be ingested to fight intestinal worms.[citation needed]

The oil is also used in sprays against fleas for cats and dogs.

vegetable

The tender shoots and flowers of the neem tree are eaten as a
vegetable in India. Neem flowers are very popular for their use in
Ugadi Pachhadi (soup-like pickle), which is made on Ugadi day in
the South Indian States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and
Karnataka. A souplike dish called Veppampoo Rasam (Tamil)
(translated as "neem flower rasam") made of the flower of neem
is prepared in Tamil Nadu.

Neem is also 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 thus 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.

NEEM
BOTANY