NEEM – The Treasured Herb

At an international symposium held at New Delhi in January 1994, the author was the chairman of a session, in which a German Scientist from the Max-Plank Institute at Martinsried described the powerful effects of neem in preventing the growth of insects. Today, Azadirachta indica, a compound obtained from the seeds of neem tree is the most powerful anti insect substance yet to be discovered. It has been shown by scientists to be effective against at least 150 species of insects. The compound has been patented by W.R. Grace Company of USA which has produced the material known as Margosan O and a multi dollar global market is building up around neem.

Neem plantations are being developed in different parts of the world. Azadirachta indiaca acts as an insect antifeedent. When sprayed on crops, insects do not come and destroy these plants. It also prevents growth of parasites inside insect vectors if the insect takes a bite of a plant protected by neem. The development of this unique substance, from a tree grown indigenously in India for generations, for the world market by a foreign firm had caused considerable controversy. Several Indian scientists and politicians feel that this country has been deprived of the world market of an Indian plant product.

while listening to Professor Rembold giving his presentation, the author remembered his childhood annual ritual where winter clothes were packed into trunks with neem leaves for storage during the long summer months.

Many readers would also remember these leaves being used for storage of grain in large metal containers. It is a pity that this folklore wisdom was not explored further by Indian scientists and that the work needed to develop this information known to us through centuries into a marketable commodity was carried outside India. While we may have lost neem as an insect repellent yet, we still have much more information about other attributes of neem which should now be explored. Neem has long been considered as a powerful antiseptic and may turn out to have compounds which may be of use in viral diseases.
Traditionally, the first time a person took a bath after an attack of chicken pox was with water in which neem leaves had been immersed. Water in which neem leaves have been placed also relieves the itching and scratching caused by skin diseases.

People should continue to use the neem leaf for different purposes while Indian scientists attempts to identify and patent compounds which are responsible for these beneficial effects. The twig of the neem tree has been used in many parts of India as a combined tooth brush and tooth paste to keep one’s teeth healthy and spotless. This property of neem also needs to be studied. The oil from the seed of the neem tree has also demonstrated anti fertility activity when delivered into the uterus and Indian scientist at the National Institute of Immunology led by Professor Talwar were carrying out their first trials on human subjects. It is very much possible that an anti fertility drug could emerge from this pioneering work.

Ayurvedic medicine and folklore medicine give us insight into other possible therapeutic uses of neem. The use of neem for skin infections comes out loud and clear, not only soothing itching but also for curing boils and eruptions and for use in leprosy and leucoderma. An ayurvedic medicine a preparation made of five parts of the neem tree has been used for leprosy – the bark, leaf, root, flower and seed. The bark of the neem tree has also been used for treatment of fevers caused by malaria, which again is becoming a threat in India. Supporting the belief is the observation made by a friend of the author, who has spent many years in the malaria prone areas in Assam.

That an extract of the bark of the neem tree taken daily with two other plants prevented malaria in all who took this concoction even when people all around were coming down with it. The oil of the seed has been found to be active against worms and fungi and is commonly used for this purpose. Water in which neem leaves have been placed is reported to be effective in causing hair to grow. Finally, neem leaves are very rich in vitamin. A and have been found to be a cheap way of counteracting night blindness caused by the deficiency of vitamin A. It appears, therefore, that this tree has much more to offer to us and to the world than what has already been discovered.

Fortunately India abounds with neem trees, which were carefully planted by the British in long avenues throughout the country, thus enabling Indian Scientists to take up this challenge of developing other medicine from neem.