Lecture - Vol. II No. 3 October

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LECTURE

Neem the Miracle Tree

G.P. Talwar has laid the foundation of Immunology in the country. As the first Director of the National Institute of Immunology, he has built the Institute into a centre of excellence. Talwar has bagged many national and international awards for his many pioneering work. Delivering a talk at IGNCA on "Neem the Miracle Tree", Talwar explained, the varied qualities of Neem.

Neem (Azadirachta indica) has been traditionally used for several purposes, twigs or Datun for excellent effect on teeth and gums; the dried neem leaves for preventing moths; boiled neem leaves extracts an antiseptic for wounds, etc. A number of toiletries-tooth pastes and soaps are in the market. Oral capsules of neem oil are also being sold as anti-diabetics and anti-acne medications. Hard data is lacking on the true efficacy of these articles and preparations in view of the fact that some of the active principles of neem are labile, and loose activity with unscientific processing and storage.

Neem has about 25 compounds and a dozen have been characterized. Two of these have today an internationally solicited market as antifeedant and ecofriendly insecticides for crops and fruit trees. It is interesting that locusts devastate all vegetation but not the Neem tree. The insecticides action is exercised by azadirachtin, which acts as an antagonist to key hormones necessary for larval development, It does not kill but stops the multiplication of inscets. A distinct and useful application of neem extracts is in repelling mosquitoes, vectors for malaria and other infections. Neem has in addition compounds that inhibit the growth of malarial parasites which may offer an option for chloroquine resistant P. Falciparum.

Neem offers also attractive propositions for contraception. Our work is leading to four potential products. These are:

A polyherbal formulation for intravaginal use, which has potent spermicidal action and which is also effective against a variety of genital infection – Candida, Chlamydia, Gardenella, Herpes and possibly AIDS;
A single application method for preventing pregnancy in women for a few months without disturbance of ovulation, menstrual regularity and bleeding profiles;
A reversible method for arresting production of sperm in the males for several months without decline of testosterone, the male sex hormone and libido; and
An oral regime which terminates an unwanted pregnancy without affecting future conceptions. Some of these leads have progressed from experimental animal studies to evaluation in humans in India and abroad after due ascertaining of safety by standard toxicology studies and clearances from the Drugs Regularity and Institutional Ethnics Committees.

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