NIMBA

                                          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

Affected part of skin of wounded and eaten by maggots, is cleaned and Nimba (Azadirachta indica) and Vidanga (Embelia ribes) powder is mixed with cow's urine and applied. Then the same combination may be used internally also.

 

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.