Azadirachta indica A.Juss.

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 119

Azadirachta indica A.Juss.

Names.

Myanmar: tama, tamaga, margosa, neem. English: Indian lilac.

Range.

Tropical Asia; also cultivated. Grows naturally in the hot regions of Myanmar.

Uses.

Whole plant: Bitter in taste, hot and sharp when digested, and with cooling properties, the flowers, sap, oil, bark, leaves, fruits, stems, and twigs are known to dispel gas, phlegm, and bile. Sap: Used in making tonics and digestives. The oil, which is applied topically for itching and rashes, is ingested for deworming. Gum: Used as a demulcent and tonic. Bark: Used as a tonic. Also, made into a paste and taken with salt to reduce fever. The inner bark is also made into a paste but applied topically to alleviate joint aches and pains. A decoction of the bark reduced to one-third its starting volume is used as a mouthwash to relieve toothaches. Leaf, Bark, and Oil: Used in treatment of skin diseases; also, as a tonic, anthelmintic, and insecticide. Leaf: Crushed leaves are made into a poultice applied as a remedy for scabies and boils. A decoction of the leaves is used as a wash to alleviate rashes, itching, and bumps on the skin. Their juice is used as an eyewash, and to relieve itching and heat. Powdered after roasting until charred leaves are mixed with salt and used daily as toothpaste to prevent toothaches, as well as to whiten and strengthen teeth; the bare twigs are used as toothpicks to help keep the teeth clean. Pulped leaves are applied to psora and other pustular eruptions. Oil, Leaf and Fruit: Utilized as a local stimulant and as an insecticide. Flower: Used as a stomachic; also, inhaled to alleviate dizziness. Fruit: Eaten daily as a remedy for urinary infections.

Notes.

The medicinal uses of this species in India are discussed in Jain and DeFilipps (1991). Medicinal uses of this species in East and Southeast Asia are discussed in Perry (1980). Indigenous medicinal uses of this species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) are described by Dagar and Singh (1999).

Details of the active chemical compounds, effects, herbal usage, and pharmacological literature of this plant are given in Fleming (2000). Traditional medicinal uses, chemical constituents, and pharmacological activity of this species are discussed by Ross (2001).

References.

Nordal (1963), Agricultural Corporation (1980), Perry (1980).