Neem: benefits from root to leaves

Neem is a plant that brings medicinal, chemical and industrial benefits, in addition to generating income for families living on small farms

Neem tree

The neem (or neem) plant, known scientifically as Azadirachta indica, is a tree from Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Neem is a tropical tree that can be grown in warm regions and well-drained soils; it is drought resistant, has fast growing, dense canopy and can reach up to 20 meters in height. Neem is able to withstand extreme conditions of heat and water pollution, improve soil fertility and rehabilitate degraded land. In addition, this tree plays an important role in controlling soil erosion, salinization and preventing the effects of flooding.

Pollution, extinction of animals, depletion of natural resources, climate catastrophes and the greenhouse effect are some of the problems that humanity has been facing due to its irresponsibility towards the environment. Thus, the search for natural resources that are renewable and less impactful has been an incessant practice. One of the most surprising discoveries is this tree that has the potential to alleviate environmental and health damage globally: the neem, which can be used in different ways in different types of products.

There are currently large neem plantations in Nicaragua, Cuba, El Salvador, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and even Germany and the United States. In Brazil, the plant was introduced by Belmiro Pereira das Neves, in 1993, in the fight against the use of pesticides. According to him, neem can be used not only in the production of pesticides, but also in family farming, as the tree produces shade and fruit. The specialist in the neem tree also emphasizes that neem is also being used in areas that have suffered a process of desertification and in reforestation projects, replacing pine and eucalyptus, as its fruits attract animals.

Neem has many benefits: its wood, a cousin of mahogany, is resistant and its seed, bark and leaves can be used in the manufacture of utensils, pesticides, repellents, pharmaceuticals (therapeutic function), cosmetics, in addition to the advantage that its culture is considered of low cost.

The various uses of neem

Medicinal

Neem is considered effective in curing and preventing various diseases, according to an article published by the Department of Biochemistry at the State University of Maringá and the literature on the pharmacological and medical effects observed in the human body by extracts from the various parts of the neem plant.

The water-soluble neem leaves have antiseptic, curative, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic activities, which act to control cholesterol levels, and are hepatoprotective. This study shows that extracts from neem leaves, applied in toothpaste, reduce bacterial plaque and have good effects in the treatment of gingivitis and periodontitis.

On the effects of neem bark extract, gastroprotective actions and inhibition of gastric ulceration were observed. Furthermore, some studies point to neem bark extract as a strong ally in the treatment of diabetes. Neem oil, in turn, has shown anti-infertility effects, being used as a spermicide and with significant antimicrobial activity against sexually transmitted pathogens.

Neem leaf and seed extracts also work as a natural repellent in domestic use, such as citronella, helping to combat malaria, dengue fever, and can also affect the development of the protozoan trypanosoma cruzi, vector parasite of Chagas disease.

Cosmetics industry

The benefits of neem in cosmetics come through its oil, which can be used mainly for the manufacture of soap, shampoo, hair oil, hair tonic and nail strengthening oil. Read more in the article: "Neem oil: what it is for and how to use it".

Agriculture

Neem paste has been used, in India, in rice and sugar cane crops since 1930, aiming to combat the Diatraea saccharalis, considered one of the main pests of sugarcane and against termites. Neem and its derivatives affect more than 400 species of insects belonging to the orders Coleoptera, Deptera, Heteroptera, Homoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Thysanoptera, Neuroptera, some arachnids and some fungi. Popularly it can be said that the use of neem acts against mosquitoes, lice, fleas and ticks. The pie (see the meaning below) of neem has various uses, such as fertilizers, natural pesticides and in the production of animal feed - it has a deworming function.

social benefits

Due to its high strength, the neem tree easily adapts to different situations. It produces many fruits and its leaves are widely used for extracting compounds and applicable to various sectors, such as pharmaceutical, industrial and chemical. Due to its various possibilities of use, the importance of the neem tree in rural areas is also highlighted in the generation of employment and income for the small farmer, in addition to the various benefits described.

Chemistry: the reason for so many benefits

After some initial research, in 1963 an Indian scientist thoroughly examined the chemistry of neem's active principles and discovered, through research on locusts, an agent that inhibits the impulse to ingest food. Since then, research on this topic has intensified. Several compounds were isolated and characterized - most of them with biogenetics similar to liminoids (azadiractin, meliantriol, salanin etc), bitter principles also found in other botanical species. According to data released by the organization Neem Foundation, the young leaves of the neem tree have healing properties for wounds and scab, as they produce flavonoids, which contain antibacterial and antifungal properties, and nimbosterol. Liminoids, the same organization points out, affect fecundity in house flies and can cause hormonal disorders in insects. See below the main chemical properties of the neem parts:

Sheets

They have many components, including proteins (7.1%), carbohydrates (22.9%), minerals, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, carotene and amino acids such as glutamic acid, tyrosine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamine, cystine and also fatty acids.

Flowers

They contain nimbosterol and flavonoids and also produce waxy material and fatty acids, such as behenic (0.7%), arachidic (0.7%), stearic (8.2%), palmitic (13.6%), oleic (6, 5%) and linoleic (8.0%).

Pollen

It contains several amino acids such as glutamic acid, tyrosine, arginine, methionine, phenylalanine, isoleucine and aminocaproic acid.

bark

Contains tannins - polyphenols that protect plants from attacks by herbivorous animals or pathogenic microorganisms - (12-16%) and non-tannin (8-11%) and also anti-inflammatory polysaccharides - this consists of glucose, fructose and arabinose. It also produces an antitumor polysaccharide and several polysaccharides. The core of neem bark contains calcium, potassium and iron salts.

wood

Contains cellulose, hemicellulose (14%) and lignin (14.63%).

Sap

It contains free sugars (glucose, fructose, mannose and xylose), amino acids (alanine, aminobutyric acid, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glycine, norvaline, praline, etc.) and organic acids (citric, malonic, succinic and fumaric acid). Neem sap is also useful in treating weakness and skin conditions.

Seed

They have a high content of lipids and a large number of bitter principles in considerable amounts. The main element discovered so far in neem seeds is azadirachtin, which is a bitter principle and has been shown in studies to be effective in combating 200 species of insects.

Pie

Remaining material after extracting the kernel oil from the neem seeds, the pie is used as an organic fertilizer and contains many plant nutrients such as nitrogen (2-3%), phosphorus (1%) and potassium (1.4% ). It also has tannic acid (1-1.5%) and has the highest sulfur content, 1.07-1.36% more, than oil cakes.

Education about the therapeutic effects and benefits of neem is still in its infancy. But now that you already know the plant and know what it is for, how about adopting the use of products derived from the species, such as soaps, essential oils, repellents or extracts? Spread this idea and practice conscientious consumption by reducing the use of harmful synthetic chemicals, their impacts on health and the environment.

Neem and the environment

Common in the Northeast region of Brazil, being easily adaptable to semi-arid conditions, resistant to high temperatures and drought, the neem tree can reach 10 meters in height in a few years and produces its first fruits between 2 and 5 years after planting. The flowers of the neem plant are also very pleasing to bees in the pollination process.

According to the EPA Biopesticides Registry, cold-pressed neem oil does not affect birds, bees, plants or terrestrial beings such as earthworms; it is, however, slightly toxic to aquatic organisms. The categories for measuring the toxic potential of an element, according to the EPA, range from 1 to 4, with 4 being the level that presents the least danger - and it is in this category that neem oil is found, going to 3 in some cases of possible dermatological allergy.



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