G L Khajuria
The neem or Nim which is also named as “Azadirachta indica” in botanical parlance is a magnificent tree of multitudinal values in the history of our civilization till date. Apart from being a handsome tree, it enjoys its placement in the rarer of the rarest importance which exclusively exhibits its uniquiness and appropriate placement in the entire plant kingdom of monocotyledons over the globe. Says Bhavprakash, Nim or Nimba leaf is agreeable to the eye, destroys pains, parasites, Pitta and poisions and augments Vata. It is pungent on digestion and useful in and destroys annorexia and skin diseases and its fruit is bitter in taste, pungent on digestion, laxative, demulcent, Gulma (Plantomtumour), parasite and meha etc and etc.
Neem tree is largely a handsome one, having imparipinnate leaves, long glabrous leaflets subopposite and lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, very unequal-sided, oftenly falcate, deeply serrate and very gradually acuminate and shining above with subsessible minute petiole is a wonderous one for its varied ramification and multitudinal values in all its unison. The tree, defacto, subsists in the sub- tropical zones unmistakably wild, though, of course, cultivated in the farmlands for shade and ornamental values throughout every nook and corner of its inhabitation in almost every greater part of India.
Admittedly, therefore, the tree is evergreen, native of India and Mayanmar which existed for millionia and is a cousin of mahogany with its twigs used as the tooth brushes for rural Indian and the pharmaceutical have their own share of utility in the Ayurvedic medicinal values of immersive importance for Himalaya in drug store Banguluru, Charak, Dabar, Zandu, Mahayog Raj, Safi, Lakhmivilas, Chandra Prabhavati and its ilk which in unison bring home a hefty dividends for their extensive export values.
Shrouded bewilderingly in the Hindu mythology of love lore of those olden yet golden Vedic era around 4000 BC and vividly exhibited in Kautilyas scripts written around 4th century has, of course, invited rather drawn humans attention for its multitudinal medicinal values. The tree, unambiguously, purifies its surrounds, thus giving impetus to thc flourishing environment and is probably the best connoisseur ot nature. Nothing can ever bring bad where neem exists, say our Purans. So, the tree is fructuous one with embellishment of vide, varied ramification which impels illustrious ambiance.
The neem has had been in use in Ayurvedic system of medicines older than any system of medicines practiced in India over the remote past representing longevity and originality in the Vedic tradition of India. That is why this tree led to the fore in broader spectrum a worldwide up rise of this wonder tree for the futuristic world, a tree of treasure trove on medicinal fronts and above all in eco-friendly stature and significance.
Of the few most pertinent usages of this wonder tree are briefed down :-
- Neem predominantly finds its importance in our old cultures as a medicinal and pesticidal in soaps, sacrament, protective to our raw food stuffs viz, grains, pulses and is andauth Zayed inspifts of neem juice is the best antiseptic.
- Neem juice taken with honey Sharvat during peak summer dispels the pimples, boils and allied skin ailments throughout the life-span of its user.
- Neem is the best antiscabic, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antifeedant, antihistaminic, antigingivitic (teeth) antiviral and so of its kind, though the list goes endlessly.
- Neem fruits ignite wonders as a very good purgative,
emollient and so do its flowers as the best tonic and for stomachic and its bark has its own unique significance of utmost amplitude. - A prominent feature of this wonder tree is that it can well establish in dry arid zones without demanding irrigation though such regions are completely devoid of water.
- Neem products play wonders againsts pathogenic fungi and dreaded virus and studies are being afooted for the cures of cancer and even as anti-AIDS.
- Neem juice finds its prominence for the remedies of UTI (Urinary Tract infections), R.T.I. (Reproductive Tract Infections), renal Infections, apart from the purification of blood.
- Neem wood is moderately hard having its qualities as good as that of teak (Tectona grandis) and further it is resistant to shock which means that its wood is shockproof in its perfectability.
- Neem’s leaves are the treasure trove of organic compounds having the most postential medicinal and antisecticidal properties well renowned in the “Indian system of medicines’ (ISM), though, of course, its biological properties are under way of evaluation. The gas chromatography mass analysis of the extracts has indicated as many as eight saturated hydrocarbons to be named as heptacosane, docosance, octacosane, hentracosane, dotriacontane, pentacosane, hentriacotanenonacosane which find their usefulness in multitudinal medicinal uses.
- Neem’s leaves and twigs as well contain fatty acids which are extracted by hydrolysis having varied acids brought under medicinal uses in broader spectrum.
- Neem’s seeds are abundantly important in commercial uses which are biologically active and volatile with organic sulphur compounds which are attributed as larvicidal to mosquitoes, bud, corn and ear worms.
- Neem’s kernels are the richest source of medicinal oil with lipid associates and variable ingredients of ample importance as good as that of groundnut oils and the remnant material after the extraction of oil, finds its usefulness of the best organic manure for nitrogen fixation.
- Neem’s leaves form the best farm fodder for the domestic animals, preferably for camels which is as well known as “ship of desert”.
Conclusively, therefore, it is most pertinent to mention over here that neem tree is wonderous one having immensive values from toe to top (roots-to-the-leaves) in its Purity. It is as good as nectar and a life-leasing elixir finding its prominence of utmost usefulness in “Indian system of medicine” without any side-effects. Let us, therefore, pledge to cultivate this wonderous tree extensively and intensively in our farmland and other available lands to maintain and improve healthy environment which enlivens us over this globe- the mother earth.
(The author is Former Dy. Conservator of Forest, J&K)
