Neem: Role in leaf spot disease management: A review

Abstract

Neem Azadirachta indica is an important plant in plant kingdom, which shows various applications for animal kingdom. Neem is one of the most powerful blood-purifiers, detoxifiers and immune system boosters known. Hundreds of diseases have been shown to respond favorably to neem. Neem leaf can be taken as tea or in capsules. Neem oil can be applied externally or a few drops can be put in an empty capsule and taken internally. It is also helpful to enhance the soil fertility. Neem oil is a unique source of various types of compounds with different chemical structure. As the era is now changing towards the use of nontoxic plant products having traditional medicinal use, development of modern drugs from neem should be emphasized for the control of various diseases. This is the time to use this novel product (neem oil) in medical field by the coordination of the knowledge gifted by the ancestors and modern approaches of drug development. As seed oil consists of so many beneficial properties to fight against several diseases, quite a significant amount of research has already been carried out during the past few decades in exploring the chemistry of different parts of neem. Several therapeutically and industrially useful preparations and compounds have also been marketed, but an extraordinary work should be done in the field of research and development to ensure the uses of neem seed oil and also other products of neem in a better and more effective way.