department of Microbiology

Barkatullah university

Azadirachta indica A.Juss


Botanical Name:-Azadirachta indica A.Juss

Common Name:– Neem

Classification:- 

  • Kingdom – Plantae

  • Division – Magnoliophyta

  • Class – Magnoliopsida

  • Order – Sapindales

  • Family – Meliaceae

  • Genus – Azadirachta

  • Species – A. Indica

Characteristics Of Meliaceae Family:-

Plants are mostly woody trees, leaves are pinnately compound ,exstipulate , leaflets are asymmetrical, margin of leaf  is serrate, inflorescence is cymose , flowers is actinomorphic , hermaphrodite, calyx and corolla sometimes united,corolla, sometimes quincuncia ,stamens  8 to 10, monadelphous, annular necticiferous disc is present between petals and stamens, gynoecium is pentacarpellary, syncarpous, superior, fewer or multilocular with 1-2or more ovules in each locule , single style.

Habitat :-. It is typically is grown in tropical and semi-tropical regions and Common in plains from the coast to 900m. 

Distribution:-  Azadirachta indica is native to India and the Indian subcontinent . It also include Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, trees now also grown in islands located in the southern part of Iran. 

Status:-  Least Concern

Plant Description:- 

Evergreen trees,  hight upto 20 m , bark greyish-brown, vertically striated exudation – red and sticky. 

Leaves  are imparipinnate, alternate, estipulate , slender, swollen at base, glabrous. Leaflets are opposite or subopposite, slender, glabrous , base oblique, apex acuminate, margin serrate, glabrous, coriaceous, pinnate, slender, prominent, intercostae reticulate. 

Flowers bisexual, white, in axillary panicles; bracteoles scaly; pedicel 5 mm; sepals 5, connate at base, ovate, margin ciliate; petals 5, free, white, oblong-obovate.

Uses Of Plants:- 

  1. Used as Toothbrush Traditionally ,slender of  neem twigs (called daatun) are first chewed as a toothbrush and then split as a tongue cleaner.

  2. Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics such as soap, shampoo, balms, and creams and toothpaste.

  3. Used as fertilizer and has demonstrated  potential as a fertilizer. Neem cake is used as fertilize in sugarcane crop. 

  4. All parts of Neem tree used as antihelmintic.

  5.  It is also anti-fungal, anti- diabetic.

  6. It is antibacterial, antiviral and used as sedative.