Nimba ( azardirecta indica ) a detail drug

 

Nimba

Basonym of Drug

            निम्बति सिञ्चति स्वास्थ्यमिति, स्वस्थवृत्तिकरमिति यावत् |

             Nimba (Azadirachta indica) is very useful drug, which maintains health.

Synonyms  

Morphology

1.    हिङ्नुनिर्यास:- हिङ्नु इव निर्यासो स्य |

The exudate from Nimba resemble Hingu Niryasa (Gum of Ferula narthex).

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.      पिचुमर्द:- पिंचु कुष्ठं मर्दयति नाशयतीति

Nimba is very efficacious drug when it comes to skin diseases.

7.      सुतिक्तक:- अतितिक्तः तिक्तद्रव्येषु अग्रगण्यः

Nimba is very efficacious drug when it comes to skin diseases.

8.      वरत्वच:- वरा श्रेष्ठा त्वगस्येति

Bark of Nimba is very useful.

Regional Names

            English            -           Neem use 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 (refer appendix-II for family features)

            Kula – Nimba kula

 

Gana Vargikarana (Classical categorization)

            Caraka – Kandughna varga

            Susruta – Aragvadhadi gana

                             Guduchyadi gana

                            Laksadi gana

            Bhavaprakasa Nighantu – Guducyadi varga

Texonomy

            Kingdom         -           Plant

            Class               -           Dicotyledons

            Subclass         -           Polypetalae

            Series              -           Disciflorae

            Order              -           Geraniales

            Family             -           Meliaceae

            Genus             -           Azadirachta

            Species           -           Indica

Habitat

            Nimba (Neem) tree grows all over India. It si commonly planted as avenue trees.

Varieties

1.      Nimba                   -           Azadirachta indica

2.      Mahanimba          -           Melia azadirachta

3.      Parvata Nimba(Aralu)    Ailanthes excels

4.      Akasa Nimba        -           Malingtonia horensis

Morphology

            Habit – A large tree

            Root – Tap root and branched

            Steam – Woody, branched solid, erect and cylindrical.

            Leaf – Compund, alternate, imparipinnate, exstipulate, pinnae are lanceolate, oblique, serrate, acuminate with unicostate reticulate venation.

            Inflorescence – Axillary panicle

            Flower – Actinomorphic, bisexual, complete, bracteates. 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, -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 and Kaempferol.

            Fruits yielded gedunin, Azadiradione, Azadirone and Deacetyl Azadirachtinol.

Rasapancaka

            Rasa                Tikta  Kasaya

            Guna               Laghu Ruksa

            Vipaka                        Katu

            Virya               Sita

Dosakarma (Action on Dosa)      

            Pitta kapha samaka, Pittasamaka due to its Sitavirya and Tikta Kasaya rasa. Kaphahara due to Katu vipaka and Tikta Kasaya rasa.

Karma (Action)

Patra (Leaf)

            Krmighna, Netrya, Visaghna, Kusthagna, Rucikara, Vranaghna, Kasahara and Swasahara.

Twak (Bark)

            Kusthaghna, Krimighna, Sramahara, Trisnahara. Jwaraghna, Chardighna, Kandughna, Pramehahara, Rucikara. Sothahara and Rakta sodhaka.

 

 

Phala (Fruit)

            Kusthaghna, Arsoghna, Krimighna, Bhedana, Mehahara and Gulmanasaka.

Puspa (Flower)

            Krimighna, Visaghna

Bija (Seed)

            Krimighna and Kusthaghna

Pharmacological Actions –

            Leaves – Insect repellet, Blood purifier, Antidiabtic

            Seed - Antiviral

            Bark – Antiviral and Antibacterial

            Flower – Insecticidal

Ragaghnata (Therapeutic indications)

            Patra – Kustha, Krimi, Netra roga, Aruci, Kasa.

            Leaf - Swasa. Visaroga and Vrana

            Twak (Bark) – Kustha, Krimi, Kandu, Prameha, Aruci, Raktadusti, Trisna. Srama, Chardi and Sotha.

            Phala (Fruit) – Kustha, Arsas, Krimi, Prameha and Gulma.

            Bija (Seed) – Krimi and Kustha

            Puspa (Flower) – Krimi and Visa roga.

Amayika prayoga (Therapeutic administration)

1.     Kustha (Skin disease-Psoriasis)

प्रपतत्सु लसीकाप्रस्त्रुतेषु गतेषु जन्तुजगधेषु |

मूत्रं निम्ब विडङ्ने  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 (embeliaribes) powder is mixed with cow’s urine and applied. Then the same combination may be used inernally also.

2.     Surameha (Acetonuria)

सुरामेहिनं निम्ब कषायम् |           सु.चि ११/९

            Deccoction of Nimba (Azardirachta indica) is used internally in case of surameha.

3.     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 n skin diseases.

4.     Arumsika (Head boils)

अरुंषिकां हते रक्ते सेचयेन्निम्ब वारिणा |    सु.चि. २०/२७

            In case of Arumsika (Head boils), First, blood letting should be done then decoction of Nimba (Azadirachta Indica) is sprinkled over the head boils.

Matra (Dosage)

            Swarasa (Juice) – 10 to 20 ml

            Kalka (Paste) – 10 to 20 g

            Kasaya (Decoction) – 50 to 100 ml

            Curna (Powder) – 2 to 4 g

            Taila (Oil) – 5 to 10 drop

Yoga (Important formulations)

Sl. No.	Name of Yoga	Indications.
1.	Nimbadi curna	Kustha, Vatarakta
2.	Nimbadi Kwatha	Kapha jwara, Pitta sothu
3.	Nimbamritadi kasaya	Visphota
4.	Panchanimba curna	Sarvakustha, Visarpa
5.	Tiktaka ghrta	Kustha, Visarpa
6.	Pancatika ghrata guggulu	Kustha, Pameha

            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.

Classical references

Synonyms

            निम्बः स्यात्पिचुमर्दश्च पिचुमन्दश्च तिक्तकः|

अरिष्टः परिभद्रश्च हिङ्नुनिर्यास इत्यादि ||

भा.प्र. कर्पूरादि वर्ग ९३

Properties and Actions

            निम्बः शीतो लघुग्रोही कटुपाको ग्निवातनुत् |

अहद्य श्रमतृट्कासज्वरारुचिकृमिप्रणुत् ||

व्रणपित्तकफच्छर्दिकुष्ठहल्लासमेहनुत् ||

                                                                        भा.प्र. गुडूच्यादि वर्ग ९४

निम्ब पत्र (Leaf)

निम्बपत्रं स्मृतं नेत्र्यं कृमिपित विषप्रणुत् |

वातलं कटुपाकञ्च सर्वारोचककुष्ठनुत् ||

                                                                        भा.प्र. गुडूच्यादि वर्ग ९५

 

 

निम्ब फल (Fruit)

            निम्बफलं रसे तिक्तं पाके तु कटुभेदनम् |

            स्निग्धं लघूष्णं कुष्ठघ्नं गुल्मार्शः कृमिमेहनुत् ||

                                                                        भा.प्र. गुडूच्यादि वर्ग ९७

 

            निम्बस्तिक्तरसः शीतो लघुः श्लेष्मास्त्रपित्तनुत् |

            कुष्ठकण्डूव्रणान्हन्ति लेपाहारादिशीलितः ||

            अपक्वं पाचयेच्छशोफं व्रणं पक्वं विशोधेयेत् ||

                                                                        ध.नि. गुडूच्यादि वर्ग २९-३०

            निम्बस्तिक्तः कटु पाके लघुः शीतो ग्निवातकृत् |

            ग्राहाहद्यो जयेत् पित्तकफमेहज्वरकृमीन् |

            कुष्ठकासारुचिश्वासहल्लास श्वयथुव्रणान् ||

            ग्राहि प्रवालं निम्बरस रक्तपित कफकृमीन् |

            कुष्ठघ्नं वातजननं नेत्ररोगान् विानाशयेत् ||

            तद्वत् पत्राणि निम्बरस व्रणघ्नानि विशेषतः |

            शलाका निम्बपत्रस्य कासश्वासविनाशिनी ||

            कृमिघ्ना तु वरिष्ठा स्यात् कुष्ठज्वरविनाशिनी  |

            चक्षुष्यं निम्बपुश्पञ्च कृमिपित्तविषप्रणुत् ||

            वातलं कटुपाकं स्यात् सर्वारोचकनाशम् |

            फलं तिक्तं रसे पाके कटुकं भेदनं लघु ||

            अरुक्षमुष्णं कुष्ठघ्नं गुल्मार्शः कृमिमेहनुत् |

            निम्बस्य पक्वं मधुरं सतिक्तं स्निग्धं फलं शोणितपित्तरोगे ||

Dravyaguna Vijnana

कफे प्रशस्तं नयनामयघ्नं, क्षत क्षयघ्नं गुरु पिच्छिलच |

निम्बबीजस्य मज्जा च कृमिकुष्ठविशोधनः ||

                                                                         कै. नि. ओषधि वर्ग १७९-८८५

प्रभद्रकः प्रभवति शीततिक्तकः कफवृणकृमिवमिशोफशान्तये |

बलासभिद्वहुविषपित्तदोषजित् विशेषतो हदयविदाहशान्तिकृत् ||

                                                                        रा.नि. प्रभद्रादि वर्ग १०

 

निम्बः शितो लघुस्तित्कः कफपित्तरापहः |

कुष्ठकृमिविषघ्नश्च मेहघ्नो रक्तशोधनः |

व्रणे विदाहे पितस्य रक्तस्य परमौषधिः ||

                                                              प्रि. नि. हरीतक्यादि वर्ग १८०-१८१