Abstract

A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANT- NEEM (AZADIRACHTA INDICA A. JUSS.) AND IT’S USE FOR DISEASES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NIGHANTUS

Dr. Deborshi Ganguly and Dr. Abdur Rahaman

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Abstract

Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) is a medicinal plant, mostly found in the Himalayan region. The neem leaf is commonly and historically used in medicine to treat a variety of illnesses such as eye disorders, nose bleeding, loss of appetite and liver problems etc. Because of its various pharmacological and therapeutic effects, it is also included in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (A.P.I.). As a result, this review provides current information on ethno-medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects of Azadirachta indica with future advancement. Several references were checked for identification, indepth literature including Nighantu, online databases documents and blogs. More than 150 compounds have been isolated from different parts of neem and these have been divided into two major classes isoprenoids and non- isoprenoids, which are proteins and carbohydrates. Further, it consists of sulphurous compounds, polyphenolic compounds such as flavonoids and their glycosides, dihydrochalcone, coumarin, tannins and aliphatic compounds. All parts of the neem tree viz, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, roots, and bark have been used traditionally for the treatment of inflammation, infections, fever, skin diseases, dental disorders, etc.

Keywords: Review, Azadirachta indica, Neem, Nighantu, Pharmacological effects.