Abstract

AN OVERVIEW ON AZADIRACHTA INDICA PLANT PARTS BENEFITS AND MARKETED PREPARATION

Tejashri B. Kadu*, Sachin J. Dighade, Prajakta N. Dongare and Shrikant R. Dod

ABSTRACT

Neem is a wonder tree belongs to family Meliaceae. Neem also has been called “nature’s drug store. It occurs in tropical and semitropical regions of the world. Neem contains active substances in almost every parts i.e. seeds, leaves, roots, bark, trunk and branches and have multiple medicinal properties. A. indica leaves possess secondary metabolites such as saponins, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides, proteins, triterpenoids, carbohydrates and alkaloids. Among them azadirachtin, meliacin, gedunin, salanin, nimbin, valassin are biologically active principles contains in various parts of Neem plant. According to the presented review we concluded that Neem leaves and Neem seeds possess most promising therapeutic values such as the tree is popular for its pharmacological attributes such as hypolipidemic, antifertility, microbicidal, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antipyretic, hypoglycemic, insecticidal, nematicidal, antiulcer, antioxidant, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and antileishmaniasis properties. Here, we have compiled a comprehensive review of phytochemical profile, pharmacological attributes, and therapeutic prospective and marketed formulation of this multipurpose tree.

Keywords: Azadirachta indica, Azadirachtin, Nimbin, Neem leaves, Neem seeds, Market preparation.