Neem (Azadirachta indica): Comprehensive Review and Recent Advances in Plant and Seed Research

Abstract

Neem is naturally occurring pesticide that comes from the seed of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). Neem has been extensively used in Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathic medicine and has become a cynosure of modern medicine. The Neem seed has been known for its unique properties, in improving the human health and wide range of pharmacological properties, especially as antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiulcer, anti-infective and antimicrobial properties. This tree has economic potential and continuous to be used worldwide. Extraction of essential neem oil from need seed was carried by soxhelt extraction method using different organic solvents and parameters. Neem oil extraction usually has three different ways; seeds, including… Mechanical pressing, Solvent extraction and Steam distillation. Other methods are used, Super critical fluid extraction (SFE), Microwave-assisted extraction (NA), Maceration, Cold extraction, Aqueous extraction etc... Neem seed kernels prior to their extraction for oil were pre-treated in single stage with different solvents, viz., isopropanol, acetone and ethanol in pure as well as in aqueous forms. The aqueous-ethanol (water: ethanol 15:85 V/V) was also employed for three stage counter-current pre-treatment of neem seeds kernels, which gave the best results. Soxhlet extraction using hexane has 40.35% using ethanol-hexane mixture of 60.40% volume proportion has 43.71% using ethanol 42.65 % and using methanol 42.89%. Mixture of ethanol and hexane gave admirable results. Additionally, present mostly in the seeds, leaves and other parts of the neem. The extracts are also beneficial for heart diseases, hepatitis, fungal infection, malaria, psoriasis and ulcer.