AZADIRACHTA INDICA (Neem)
Azadirachta indica (Neem), an herb extensively used in Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathic systems of medicine [7] to treat many health related problems and ailments, and also known to exert anticancer, antioxidant, wound-healing, and antimicrobial properties [5,6,7] is also known to be one of these plants from which almost every part is used, from the Neem oil extracted from its seeds to the leaves and branches.
But what be the secret behind the beneficial properties of Neem? As in other herbs, Neem beneficial effects are given by some of its active constituents, some of which the pharmaceutical industry have used as their primary source to build drugs against illnesses as important as cancer, for which already more than 400 active constituents derived from plants and herbs are used. Herbs as Neem and Ginkgo biloba as well as many other well renown herbs, have been in the scope of pharmaceutical companies since long ago, mainly due to the properties and health benefits exerted by some of their active constituents known to act as health boosters. Image: Azadirachta indica (Neem) by Wendy Cutler under Creative Common license (CC BY 2.0).
AZADIRACHTA INDICA
Family: Meliaceae
Genus: Azadirachta
Common name: Neem, Indian lilac, Margosa tree.
ANTI-MICROBIAL AND ANTI-BACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF Azadirachta indica (Neem)
Azadirachta indica (Neem) however has a main target on which its use seems to be highly effective, skin and skin related problems, either as part of poly herbal anti-acne face wash gels formulations [1], or part of anti-microbial preparations against some groups of bacteria as Escherichia coli (E.coli) [2]. As we said before, Azadirachta indica by itself doesn't seem to be much different from any other plant from its family and genus, but when we look closer we find some major differences that may indicate why this plant is so different, its active constituents, among which we find thirty-one nortriterpenoids, including 28 limonoids and 3 degraded limonoids, and one diterpenoid [3].
Five of those active constituents found in Azadirachta indica showed an important inhibitory effect on the melanogenesis in the B16 melanoma cells, with results of 74 to 91% reduction of melanin content at 25 microg/ml and almost no toxicity to healthy cells[3], with which Neem becomes one of these plants to be noted for the development of new drugs based on the active constituents of this plant.
ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS
Thirty-one nortriterpenoids, including 28 limonoids and 3 degraded limonoids, and one diterpenoid [3], as well as azadirachtin.
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