Neem
The neem (Azadrachta indica) is an incredibly versatile plant that has been declared the “Tree of the 21st century” by the United Nations. A member of the mahogany family, the neem has innumerable healing properties that have earned it the name of “Village Pharmacy”.
Humankind has extensively used the neem to treat various ailments before the availability of written records, marking the beginning of history. Images of the neem tree have been identified on seals excavated from the Indus Valley Civilization, dating back 5,000years.
The benefits of neem find mention in the ancient Ayurvedic texts, Charaka- Samhita and Sushruta-Samhita. The 16th-century Portuguese naturalist and physician, Garciada Orta, has written about the efficacy of crushed neem leaves mixed with lemon juice as a poultice to treat obstinate sores on the backs of horses.
Native to India and Myanmar, the neem tree today grows in more than 30 countries worldwide. In India, it is an extremely popular tree that can be found growing just about anywhere.
The tree is a fast-growing evergreen that reaches a height of 50 to 100 feet, with a straight trunk and spreading branches that form a dense, round canopy, making it an excellent shade tree. The bark is rough, scaly and fissured. The compound leaf consists of several leaflets that are long and curved, with serrated edges. Tiny white star-shaped, fragrant flowers bloom in large drooping clusters. The fruits resemble olives in shape and colour and are thin-skinned and oval.
Neem leaves, fruits, seeds, roots and bark, have a long history of use in India’s Ayurveda and Siddha systems of traditional medicine. An infusion of neem bark, leaves or roots boiled in water is consumed as a remedy for malaria. Bathing in water infused with neem leaves is recommended for patients recovering from chicken pox to soothe scabs and clear away the scars left by the disease. Neem oil and leaf extracts are used to treat fevers, skin diseases and indigestion. In villages, neem twigs are chewed to clean the teeth.
In spite of their bitter taste, the products of the neem tree also find limited culinary uses. Tender neem shoots and flowers are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. In South India, neem flowers are used to prepare veppampoo rasam, a kind of soup, and veppampoo pachadi, a special dish made on Tamil and Telugu New Year days that symbolises the varied flavours of life.
Oil extracted from neem seeds is used for manufacturing soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, cosmetics, mosquito repellents and medicines. The powdery residue left behind after extracting the oil is a good organic fertiliser and pesticide that has been found to increase fertility of the soil as well as control soil-borne pests. Dried neem leaves are placed in sacks of stored foodgrain to keep away insects.
