Neem tree

COMMON NAMES:

Nim, Margosa Tree, Indian Lilac, Bead Tree, Pride of China, Divine Tree, Holy Tree, Persian Lilac, Neem Tree, Nimba.

General info
A tree belonging to the mahogany family known as the "free tree" because of its ability to "free the soil." Popular in the Philippines, more for its insecticidal properties (pang-lamok) than for its medicinal applications. In India, it is considered the most useful traditional medicinal plant, and commericially beneficial as each part of the tree has some medicinal property.

Botany
Medium-sized tree growing to 15 meters high, with wide spreading branches formiing an oval crown. Leaves are nnately compound. The droopingleaflets are 1 cm long, paired, lanceolate, acuminate with serrated margins. The blade is shiny dark green on the upper surface and pale green on the underside. Flowers are numerous, small, white and fragrant.

Distribution
Not widespread in the Philippines. A good shade tree. Propagated by seeds.

Chemical Constituents

From the seed is produced a bitter fixed oil, nimbidin, known as "Oil of Margosa" or neem oil. Neem seeds yield a fix oil of glycerides and bitter compounds including nimbin, nimbinin and nimbidol. Neem bark and leaves contain tannin and oil.
Azadirachtin, the insecticide constitutent of the seeds, is biodegradable, non-mutagenic, and nontoxic to birds, fish, and warm-blooded animals. The EPA has approved a neem formulation Margosan-O) as a pesticide for limited use on nonfood crops.

Properties and biologic properties
Antiinflammatory (nimbidin, sodium nimbidate, gallic acid, catechin, polysachharides).
Antiarthritic, hypoglycemic, antipyretic, hypoglycemic, diuretic, anti-gastric ulcer (nimbidin)
Antifungal (nimbidin, gedunin, cyclic trisulfide) Antibacterial (nimbidin, nimbolide, ahmoodin, marrgolone,margolonone, isomargolonone) Spermicidal (nimbin, nimbidin)Antimalarial nimbolidfe, gedunin, azadirachtin) Antitumor (polysaccharides) Immunomodulatory (NB-II peptoglycan, gallic acid, epicatechin, catechin) Hepatoprotective (aequeous extract of neem leaf) Antioxidant (neem seed extract)

Parts used and preparation
Whole plant..

Uses:

Folkloric
Poultice of leaves for swollen glands, brusies and sprains.
Fresh leaf-tea used for malaria.
Tree and root barks have been used for malaria, jaundice, and for intestinal parasitism.
Edible pulp of the fruit used for hemorrhoids.

Ayurvedic medicine
Leaf- leprosy, intestinal parasites, eye problems, skin ulcers
Bark - pain and fever.
Flower - bile suppression, intestinal worms and phlegm.
Fruit - piles, intestinal worms, urinary disorder, nose bleeding , phlegm, eye problem, diabetes, wounds and leprosy.
Twig - cough, asthma, piles, intestinal worms, spermatorrhoea, urinary disorders, diabetes.
Gum - ringworms,scabies, wounds and ulcers.
Seed pulp and oil- leprosy and intestinal worms.

Others
Young tender branches are chewed for toothbrushing use.
Leaf's oil is used as a local antiseptic and insecticide.
Neem oil may be useful for gingivitis.
In the rural areas, burning of leaves and seeds used as mosquito repellant.
Neem oil has been shown to possess some spermicidal and contraceptive properties when used intravaginally.
Use of neem oil in animals showed lowering of glucose

Commercial use
Neem extracts used in the manufacture of toothpaste for its antibacterial properties.
Fresh seed oil has a strong garlic odor and is an ingredient for insect sprays.

Availability
Wildcrafted. Available in cybermarkets as supplements, oil, cakes, extracts, and organic manure.

----------------------------
NEEM Herbal Capsules is available at MAHATA COTTAGE, Quezon Mem. Circle, QC
Look for BAL DOMINGO tel# (02) 4802193

PANSIT-PANSITAN: rarely acknowledged weed but an effective medicinal plant!

Scientific Name:
Piper pellucida Linn., Micropiper pellucidum Miq., Peperomia hymenophylla Miq.

Common name:
Ulasiman bato, Ulasimang bato, Ikmo-ikmohan, Sida-sida, Tagulinaw, Tangon-tangon, Shiny bush (Engl.)


Botany
An annual herb, shallow rooted, may reach 40 cm high, with succulent stems. Leaves are alternate, heart-shaped and turgid, as transparent and smooth as candle wax. Tiny dotlike flowers scattered along solitary and leaf-opposed stalk (spike); naked; maturing gradually from the base to the tip; turning brown when ripe. Propagation by seeds. Numerous tiny seeds drop off when mature and grow easily in clumps and groups in damp areas.

Distribution
An annual herb, favoring shady, damp and loose soil.
Often grows in groups in nooks in the garden and yard.
Conspicious in rocky parts of canals.

Parts utilized
Leaves and stems.

Constituents and properties
• Considered anti-inflammatory, refrigerant, analgesic, antifungal, anticancer.
• Study yielded 5 new bioactive compounds: two secolignans, two tetrahydrofuran lignans, and one highly methoxylated dihydronaphthalenone. source

Uses
Nutritional
Leaves and stems may be eaten as vegetable.
In salads, the fresh plant has the crispness of carrot sticks and celery.

Folkloric
Infusion and decoction of leaves and stems are used for gout and arthritis.
Externally, as a facial rinse for complexion problems.

Pounded whole plant used as warm poultice for boils, pustules and pimples.
In Bolivia, decoction of roots used for fever; aerial parts for wounds.
Used for headaches, rhumatic pains, impotence.

In Brazil, used to lower cholesterol; for treatment of abscesses, furuncles and conjunctivitis

New uses
Belongs to the "preferred list" of Philippine medicinal plants, being studied for its use in the treatment of arthritis and gout.

For arthritis: Leaves and stems of the fresh plant may be eaten as salad. Or, as an infusion, put a 20-cm plant in 2 glasses of boiling water; and 1/2 cup of this infusion is taken morning and evening.

Studies
• Analgesic / Antiinflammatory: Extract study of aerial parts of PP tested in rats and mice exhibited anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. The antiinflammatory activity was attributed to interference with prostaglandin synthesis. Results also showed low toxicity.

• CNS Depressant Activity: Study of peperomia leaf extract showed dose-dependent depressant effects probably due to psychoactive substances that are CNS depressant.

• Antipyretic: Study of PP leaf extract on rabbits showed antipyretic effects comparable to a standard aspirin.

• Antibacterial: Study of methanolic extract of PP exhibited a very good level of broad spectrum antibacterial activity.

• Phenological Antiedematogenic: P pellucida has a phenological cycle of about 100 days. The aqueous extract is used as antiedematogenic during pheophases 1 and 2 of winter and spring.

Availability
Wild-crafted.

reference:
http://www.stuartxchange.com/Pansit.html