NIMBA
Basonym
of Drug
निम्बति सिञ्चति स्वास्थ्यमिति, स्वस्थवृत्तिकरमिति यावत् ।
Nimba (Azadirachta indica) is very useful drug, which maintains health,
Synonyms
Morphology
1. हिङ्गुनिर्यासः - हिङ्गु इव निर्यासोऽस्य ।
The exudate from Nimba resemble Hingu Niryāsa
Properties
and Actions
2. अरिष्ट:- न रिष्टमशुभमस्मात्, सर्वरोगनाशक इत्यर्थः ।
Nimba cures many diseases, does good always if used.
3. कृमिघ्न कृमीन् हन्ति इति ।
Very efficacious in helminthiasis.
4. नियमन नियच्छति शमयति रोगानिति ।
Nimba alleviates many diseases.
5. पारिभद्र परितः भद्रः कल्याणकरः ।
If used, Nimba always does good.
6. पिचुमर्दः - पिचुं कुष्ठं मर्दयति नाशयतीति ।
Nimba is very
efficacious drug when it comes to skin diseases.
7. सुतिक्तक:- अतितिक्तः तिक्तद्रव्येषु अग्रगण्यः ।
Nimba is one of the best among drugs having bitter
taste.
8. वरत्वच:- वरा श्रेष्ठा त्वगस्येति ।
Bark of Nimba is very useful.
Regional
Name
English - Neem tree
or Margosa tree.
Hindi - Nim
Kannada -Bevina Mara
Malayalam -Veppu
Marathi - Kadunimba
Botanical
Name
Azadirachta indica Juss.
Azadirachta- Persian
name meaning best tree indica- Native of India
Family- Meliaceae
Kula - Nimba kula
Gana vargikaraṇa (Classical categorization)
Caraka- Kandughna varga
Suśruta- Aragvadhādi gana
Guduchyadi gana
Lākṣādi gana
Bhavaprakāśa Nighantu- Guducyādi
varga
Taxonomy
Kingdom - Plant
Class
- Dicotyledons
Sub class -
Polypetalae
Order - Disciflorae
Family - Geraniales
Genus - Azadirachta
Species -
indica
Habitat
Nimba (Neem) tree
grows all over India. It is commonly planted as avenue trees.
Varieties
1. Nimba -
Azadirachta indica
2. Mahānimba - Melia
azadirachta
3. Parvata Nimba
(Aralu)- Ailanthus excelsa
4. Akāśa Nimba -
Malingtonia horensis
Morphology
Habit- A large tree
Root- Tap root and branched
Stem-
Woody, branchedsolid, erect and cylindrical.
Leaf
- Compound,alternate,imparipinnate, exstipulate,
pinnae are lanceolate, oblique, serrate,acuminate with unicostate reticulate
venation.
Inflorescence- Axillary panicle
Flower- Actinomorphic, bisexual, complete, bracteate, pedicellate,
hypogynous, sepals are 5 and gamosepalous, petals are 5, polypetalous and white
in colour, stamens are 10, Gynoecium : Tricarpellary, syncarpous, superior
ovary.
Fruit- Drupaceous with one seed.
Useful part-Patra (Leaf), and Twak (Bark), Bija (Seed), Phala (Fruit), Puspa
(Flowers) and Niryasa (Resin).
Leaf -Pinnately branched leaves with ovate lanceolate, subfalcate and bluntly serrate leaflets having an acute apex, measuring upto 5 cm in length and 1.5 cm in breadth. The leaves are upto 50 cm long clustered at the end of the branches, which also bear bunches of lilac flowers in terminal panicles. Leaflets when fresh are bright green but turn greyish on drying. Has got disagreeable odor. Taste is very bitter.
Bark - Bark is Channelled or quilled pieces of tough and fibrous bark ranging from 3 mm to 10 mm in thickness. Outer surface is greyish brown to black in colour, rough, scaly, irregularly fissured, especially in the bark obtained from older stems. Inner surface is creamish in colour, conspicuously laminated and coarsely fibrous. Transversely cut portion shows a smooth, minutely chequred surface. On breaking becomes fibrous, has got bitter and astringent taste.
Phytoconstituents
Leaves
- contain Nimbin, Nimbinene, Nimbandiol, Nimbolide, Quercitin, B-sitosterol,
Azadirone, Azadiradione and Azadirachtin. Bark has Nimbin, Nimbinin, Nimbidin,
Margolone and Margolonone.
Seeds-
contain Nimbin. Nimbidin, Azadirachtin, Chlorogenic acid, Salanin and
4-Epinimbin.
Flowers-
possess Nimbosterol Myricitin andKaempferol. Fruits yielded gedunin,
Azadiradione,Azadirone and Deacetyl Azadirachtinol.
Rasapanchaka
Rasa -Tikta Kaşāya
Guna -Laghu Rukşa
Vipäka - Katu
Virya -Sita
Doşakarma (Action on Doşa)
Pitta kapha śāmaka,
Pittaśāmaka due to its Sītavirya and Tikta Kaşaya rasa. Kaphahara due to Katu
vipāka and Tikta Kaṣāya rasa.
Karma (Actions)
Patra
(Leaf)
Krmighna, Netrya, Vişaghna, Kuşthagna, Rucikara, Vranaghna, Kasahara and Śwāsahara.
Twak
(Bark)
Kuşthaghna, Krimighna,
Śramahara, Triṣṇahara. Jwaraghna, Chardighna, Kanḍughna, Pramehahara, Rucikara
Sothahara and Rakta śodhaka.
Phala
(Fruit)
Kuşthaghna, Arsoghna,
Krimighna, Bhedana, Mehahara and Gulmanāśaka.
Puspa (Flower)
Krimighna, Vişaghna
Bija (Seed)
Krimighna and
Kuşthaghna
Pharmacological Actions
Leaves- Insect
repellent, Blood purifier, Antidiabetic
Seed- Antiviral
Bark- Antiviral and
Antibacterial
Flower- Insecticidal
Rogaghnata (Therapeutic indications)
Patra- Kuştha, Krimi,
Netra roga, Aruci, Kāsa.
Leaf- Śwasa, Vişaroga
and Vrana
Twak (Bark)- Kuştha,
Krimi, Kandu, Prameha, Aruci, Raktaduşti, Trisna, Srama, Chardi and Sotha.
Phāla (Fruit)- Kuştha,
Arśas, Krimi, Prameha and Gulma.
Bija (Seed)- Krimi and
kushta
Puspa (Flower)- Krimi
and Vișa roga
Amayika prayoga (Therapeutic administration)
1. Kuştha (Skin disease-Psoriasis)
प्रपतत्सु लसीकाप्रस्रुतेषु गतेषु जन्तुजग्धेषु ।
मूत्रं निम्ब विडङ्गे स्नानं पानं प्रदेहश्च ।।
च.चि. ७/१५७
2. Twagroga (Skin diseases)
निम्बारग्वधयोः कल्को हित उत्सादने भवेत् ।
अ.सं.उ. ३७/६
Paste prepared from
Nimba (Azadirachta indica) and Aragwadha (Cassia fistula) is applied in skin
diseases.
3. Arumşika (Head boils)
अरुषिकां हृते रक्ते सेचयेन्निम्ब वारिणा ।
सु.चि. २०/२७
In case of Arumşikā
(Head boils), First, blood letting should be done then decoction of Nimba
(Azadirachta indica) is sprinkled over the head boils.
Note
-Nimba
can be considered as Kalpa vruksa as every parts of it is very useful. Caraka
opines that one who uses parts of Nimba to take bath, in food and for preparing
bed to sleep for a year will never suffer from skin diseases.
