Page 24 - Assignment 1 GS58346 Nurzawani

BENEFITS OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA
Nearly all parts of the neem tree are useful, and many of its medicinal and cosmetic uses are based
on its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Neem is commonly used in shampoos for treating
dandruff and in soaps or creams for skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and athlete’s foot.
Neem leaves have long been used as a traditional treatment for diabetes, and there is some clinical
evidence suggesting that it may help control blood sugar levels.
Oil extracted from the seeds can be used directly as an insect and mite repellent, insecticide, and
fungicide and is the source of many commercial pesticide products, including dusts, granules, and
concentrates.
Eating neem leaves reduces fever associated with viral infection. Neem leaves also contain
phospholipase A2 inhibitor, which can be used as a snake venom inhibitor.
A group from Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India identified a glycoprotein in an
aqueous preparation from neem leaves and it has several immunomodulatory functions,
detrimental for tumor growth. The glycoprotein is designated as neem leaf glycoprotein or NLGP
and preclinical studies established NLGP as a therapeutic tool for eradication and/or sustained
restriction of murine tumor growth, based on several evidences in favor of possible multifaceted
antitumor therapeutic benefits.