Neem tree

Neem tree
	Neem tree ( Azadirachta indica )
Systematics
	Rosids
	Eurosiden II
Order :	Sapindales (Sapindales)
Family :	Mahogany (Meliaceae)
Genre :	Azadirachta
Type :	Neem tree
Scientific name
	Azadirachta indica
	A.Juss.

The neem tree ( Azadirachta indica ) is one of the two species of the genus Azadirachta within the mahogany family (Meliaceae). The active ingredient-rich plant parts are used in medicine and agriculture.

description

Young neem tree

Imparipinnate leaves

Branches with inflorescences

Five-fold bloom in detail

Ripe stone fruits and stone pits

Vegetative characteristics

The neem is a fast-growing, (mostly) evergreen tree that reaches an average height of usually 15 to 16, or up to 20 meters - under favorable conditions up to 40 meters. The trunk reaches a diameter of up to 60 centimeters and is generally relatively short and rarely higher than 3.5 meters. It can live up to 200 years. Under unfavorable conditions, the tree loses its leaves to protect itself from dehydration. The branches are widely ramified, the treetop is round to oval with dense foliage. In the case of free-standing trees, the diameter of the crown can correspond to its height. The bark of the branches is bare. At the first branch the bark is hard and colored between whitish-gray to reddish-brown. The outer layers of wood are light, the inner layers are reddish. When the inner layers of wood come into contact with air, they turn reddish-brown. The root system consists of a strong main root, which can reach twice as deep into the ground as the tree is high, and a branched root system.

The tree leads a rubber .

The alternate leaves arranged on the branches are divided into petioles and blades and are a total of 20 to 40 centimeters long. The 3 to 7 centimeters long petiole is thickened at its base. The mostly unpaired, rarely paired pinnate leaf blade consists of 19 to 31 leaflets . The approximately opposite leaflets are only 1 to 2 millimeters long and stalk, so they are almost seated on the leaf rhachis . The medium to dark green, often somewhat curved, crooked, very asymmetrical leaflets at the base are usually 5 to 7 (2.5 to 9) centimeters long and 1.5 to 4 centimeters wide and are lanceolate or ovate with a pointed tip upper end and sawn or notched to serrated edge. The leaves smell of garlic when injured. The young leaves are often reddish to purple in color. There may be glands on the petiole.

Inflorescence and flowers

150 to 250 flowers are located on a 25 to 30 centimeter long, paniculate , up to three-fold branched inflorescence (it is a thyrse ). The neem tree is Andromonöz ; each specimen therefore develops both male and hermaphrodite flowers. The hermaphroditic flowers are also protandric , i.e. pre-male.

In Australia, the flowering period extends from winter to spring in the dry season. The flowers are radial symmetry and five-fold with a double flower envelope . The sweet, fragrant flowers are 5 to 6 millimeters long and 8 to 11 millimeters in diameter. The five fluffy hairy sepals are obovate with a length of about 1.5 millimeters with a rounded end and the edge is ciliate. With a length of 4 to 6 millimeters, the five white petals are obovate to oblong or oblong-spatulate with a ciliate border. The ten stamens are fused into a ribbed and toothed staminal tube about 5 millimeters long. The basifix anthers are elongated. The staminal tube surrounds the uppermost, almost spherical and three-chambered ovary . The approximately 2.5 millimeters long, elongated stylus ends in a three-part scar . There is a discus .

fruit

In Australia, the edible fruits ripen from February to March. The solitary, greenish-yellow to yellow stone fruit when ripe is elongated or ellipsoidal to spherical. The bald, olive-like stone fruit is about 1.3 to 2.5 inches long and 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter when ripe and is orange-yellow with a large stone core. The fruit skin is thin and tough, the transparent, gelatinous to yellowish-fibrous pulp has a bitter-sweet taste. The fruit usually contains one, in rare cases several seeds .

Chromosome number

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 28.

Collar parakeet ( Psittacula krameri ) eats Niemfrüchte

ecology

A neem tree bears fruit for the first time after four years. After ten years it delivers 40 to 50 kilograms of fruit and thus achieves its full fruit yield. If the fruits are eaten by animals, they usually excrete the indigestible kernels. The seeds survive the digestive tract of the animals without any problems and germinate after shedding.

Trunk and bark

Coloring of a young leaf

ingredients

Although the neem tree has been studied for decades, many of its active ingredients have not yet been fully researched. Neem contains more than 100 different chemical ingredients, which also have different compositions in the trunk, the bark, the leaves and fruits. For many of these very complex ingredients, only approximate values of the structural formulas are known.

A particularly important ingredient is the insecticidal azadirachtin . It is obtained from neem oil, which is pressed from the seeds. Other important ingredients are salannin , meliantriol , nimbin and nimbidin .

A summary of the ingredients of the neem tree:

The bark of the neem tree contains:

3.43% protein ( arginine 0.125%, aspartic acid 0.375%, aspartic acid 0.28%, cysteine 0.5%, glutamic acid 0.239%, isoleucine 0.057%, methionine 0.125%, norleucine 0.128%, phenylalanine 0.088%, proline 0.3 % and tryptophan 0.456%.),
0.68% alkaloids
4.16% minerals.
Nimbin ,
Nimbidol ,
Nimbidin ,
Nimbosterol ,
Bitter substance ,
Polysaccharides ,
Galloketechin ,
Epicatechin ,
Eligallocatechin
Phenols

Neem leaves consist of:

approx. 20% fiber,
50% carbohydrates ,
15% proteins,
5% fat,
8% ash,
2% calcium ,
Nimbidol
Nimbin
Nimbidinate
essential amino acids ( alanine 1.2%, aspartic acid 3.4%, aspartic acid 2.7%, cystine 3.3%, glutamic acid 3.1%, isoleicin 1%, phenylline 3.2%, proline 2.1%, Threonine 2.4%, tryptophan 1.4%, taurine 0.7% and valine 2.9%),
Carotenoids ,
Ascorbic acid

illustration

Distribution and site conditions

Azadirachta indica originally comes from India , Pakistan and Myanmar . Azadirachta indica is dependent on tropical and subtropical climates. Humans also made the neem tree native to the Asian , African , American and Australian continents as well as to the islands in the Pacific . The neem is mainly found in the flat and arid regions of the tropics and subtropics. It is rare in the mountains .

The neem is known for its resistance to drought. It can survive well in areas with an average annual precipitation of 400 to 1200 mm and also occurs in areas with less precipitation, but then it is dependent on the groundwater. The neem can grow in many types of soil , but prefers sandy soils with a pH of 6.2 to 7.0. The tree does not tolerate waterlogging. If the roots are too long in the water, the neem dies very quickly. The favorable average daily maximum temperatures over the year are 31 ° C. The tree tolerates higher temperatures of over 50 ° C, temperatures below 4 ° C are not good for the neem tree: it loses its leaves and dies.

Taxonomy

The first description of Azadirachta indica was made in 1830 by de Adrien Henri Laurent Jussieu in Memoires du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle Volume 19, page 221, Table 2, Figure 5. synonyms for Azadirachta indica A.Juss. are: Melia indica (A.Juss.) Brandis , Melia azadirachta L. , Antelaea azadirachta (L.) Adelb.

use

Neem oil

Plant parts of the neem tree and products made from them have an antibacterial and antiviral effect and can be used as insecticide , fungicide , spermicide , fertilizer and animal feed . They are therefore used in medicine as well as in agriculture and horticulture.

Use in medicine

Neem products have been used by Indian doctors against anemia , high blood pressure , hepatitis , ulcers , leprosy , hives , thyroid diseases and digestive disorders and in Ayurveda medicine for 2000 years . Never is used as a remedy for head lice and is said to help with diabetes mellitus and cancer as well as reduce cholesterol levels. Neem products have also been used as spermicide and abortion in India for centuries. The branches of the tree are used for dental and oral hygiene .

Neem oil is also available for combating house dust mites , but it has only minor effects. The uptake of neem tree seed oil extract by the mites inhibits their growth, food intake and reproduction, but the uptake of the toxin does not necessarily take place and it is no longer detectable in the treated textiles after a few days.

Use in agriculture

In agriculture and by gardeners, the seeds and the oil are used as fertilizer and to control and prevent insect, nematode , mite and fungal infestations. Solutions made from crushed seeds and water for pouring or spraying against insect pests are widely used. Resistance in insects has not yet been observed.

A number of ingredients are central to the insecticidal effect:

Azadirachtin has a similar effect to the hormone ecdysone . It prevents insect pests from multiplying and eating crops. It is also effective against various nematodes.
Salannin has a repellent effect on insects and protects crops very effectively against insect damage.
Meliantriol has a deterrent effect on insects like salannin and even stops locusts .
Nimbin and Nimbidin are effective against viruses.

According to European legislation (Directive 98/8 / EC on the placing of biocidal products on the market) and with the resolution of May 8, 2012, a decision has been made to add the active ingredient Margosa extract to the corresponding list from May 1, 2014 (Appendix I / IA of Directive 98/8 / EC) for product type 18 (insecticides).

The wood of the neem tree is a very good fuel and is used as firewood. The neem leaves are very popular as fodder. This protects the rest of the vegetation. The residues from neem oil production ( press cake ) are suitable for use as feed rich in nutrients and minerals.

Environmental impact

The neem tree is used for the recultivation of desert areas and has a high CO ₂ throughput. Since the tree grows very quickly, its cultivation quickly counteracts the deforestation of natural forests. Neem trees help against soil erosion and reduce wind speed. They provide shade, cool the environment and protect the ground vegetation.

Patents

Since 1985, more than 90 patents have been registered worldwide for the active properties and extraction processes of neem products. The American company WR Grace set up production facilities for neem processing in India and bought Indian companies. In the period that followed, the price of the Niemsamen rose from 11 to over 100 US dollars per ton, which significantly restricted availability, especially for small farmers and local small businesses. Because of the numerous patents, export opportunities for Neem products were often limited to patent holders.

Since 1993, the “Neem Campaign” initiative in India has had patents checked for legality. Two patents on Niem products were revoked after complaints to the European Patent Office in 2000 and 2005. At the first event in 2000 it was the patent EP 0436257 B1, in 1994 the US Department of Agriculture and the company WR Grace from the European Patent Office has been granted. It concerns a " method for controlling fungi on plants " or a " method for protecting plants from fungal attack ". In May 2000, in opposition appeal proceedings before the EPO technical board of appeal, the patent was revoked due to a lack of "inventive step", since the fungicidal effects of vegetable oils are widely known and therefore no inventive step is required to apply known recipes to previously unused plants.

Common names

The common name neem tree is derived from the English neem tree from the Hindi designation NIM ( नीम ) from. The Hindi word itself can be traced back to Sanskrit nimba ( निम्ब ), where the trace is lost. It is also called neem, neem or margosa. Common English names are Nimtree and Indian-lilac. A French-speaking common name is margousier.

Individual evidence

↑ Azadirachta indica in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Azadirachta indica at Tropicos.org. In: Flora of Pakistan . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q DJ Mabberley, 2019: Azadirachta indica A.Juss. In: Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. on-line.
↑ Amos Nussinovitch: Plant Gum Exudates of the World. CRC Press, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4200-5223-7 , p. 93 ff.
^ H. Schmutterer, KRS Ascher: The Neem Tree. VCH, 1995, ISBN 3-527-30054-6 , p. 5.
↑ Azadirachta indica from BioNET-EAFRINET, Invasive Plants, accessed on October 6, 2019.
↑ Azadirachta indica at CABI, Invasive Species Compendium, accessed October 6, 2019.
^ Azadirachta indica at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Heidelore Kluge: Niembaum, the power of the Indian wonder plant. Verlag Gesundheit und Natur, 1996, ISBN 3-7787-3580-2 .
↑ No tree - the wonder tree - fachportal-gesundheit.de . In: fachportal-gesundheit.de . ( fachportal-gesundheit.de [accessed on April 10, 2018]).
↑ No tree - the wonder tree - fachportal-gesundheit.de . In: fachportal-gesundheit.de . ( fachportal-gesundheit.de [accessed on April 10, 2018]).
↑ ^a ^b Azadirachta indica at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, accessed July 29, 2019.
↑ H. Rembold, H. Oetzel: Control of the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, through active ingredients from the seeds of the neem tree, Azadirachta indica. In: Allergo J. 13, 2004, 269-73, (PDF) .
↑ EU: Directive 98/8 / EC of February 16, 1998 on the placing of biocidal products on the market (PDF) Official Journal of the European Communities L 123/1 of April 24, 1998.
↑ EU: Directive 2012/15 / EU of May 8, 2012 amending Directive 98/8 / EC to include the active ingredient Margosa extract in Appendix I (PDF) Official Journal of the European Communities L 123/39 of May 9, 2012.
^ Bödeker et al .: Wissensallmende. 2004, p. 32.
↑ Biopiracy and the appropriation of genetic resources ( Memento from November 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
↑ Manfred Mayrhofer : Etymological Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan. Volume 2, University Press C. Winter, Heidelberg 1992, entry “nimba-” (p. 44).

Web links

Commons : Niembaum ( Azadirachta indica ) - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Azadirachta indica at Pitchandikulam Forest Virtual Herbarium.
Azadirachta indica at Useful Tropical Plants.
Azadirachta indica at PROTA.
Neem Foundation , India (Engl.)
Neem Network of FAO (English).

[GRIN-1] Azadirachta indica in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved November 19, 2018.

[FoPakistan-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Azadirachta indica at Tropicos.org. In: Flora of Pakistan . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis

[FoAustralia2019-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q DJ Mabberley, 2019: Azadirachta indica A.Juss. In: Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. on-line.

[4] Amos Nussinovitch: Plant Gum Exudates of the World. CRC Press, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4200-5223-7 , p. 93 ff.

[5] H. Schmutterer, KRS Ascher: The Neem Tree. VCH, 1995, ISBN 3-527-30054-6 , p. 5.

[6] Azadirachta indica from BioNET-EAFRINET, Invasive Plants, accessed on October 6, 2019.

[7] Azadirachta indica at CABI, Invasive Species Compendium, accessed October 6, 2019.

[IPCN-8] Azadirachta indica at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis

[Kluge1996-9] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Heidelore Kluge: Niembaum, the power of the Indian wonder plant. Verlag Gesundheit und Natur, 1996, ISBN 3-7787-3580-2 .

[10] No tree - the wonder tree - fachportal-gesundheit.de . In: fachportal-gesundheit.de . ( fachportal-gesundheit.de [accessed on April 10, 2018]).

[11] No tree - the wonder tree - fachportal-gesundheit.de . In: fachportal-gesundheit.de . ( fachportal-gesundheit.de [accessed on April 10, 2018]).

[Tropicos-12] Azadirachta indica at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, accessed July 29, 2019.

[Rembold2004-13] H. Rembold, H. Oetzel: Control of the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, through active ingredients from the seeds of the neem tree, Azadirachta indica. In: Allergo J. 13, 2004, 269-73, (PDF) .

[14] EU: Directive 98/8 / EC of February 16, 1998 on the placing of biocidal products on the market (PDF) Official Journal of the European Communities L 123/1 of April 24, 1998.

[15] EU: Directive 2012/15 / EU of May 8, 2012 amending Directive 98/8 / EC to include the active ingredient Margosa extract in Appendix I (PDF) Official Journal of the European Communities L 123/39 of May 9, 2012.

[16] Bödeker et al .: Wissensallmende. 2004, p. 32.

[17] Biopiracy and the appropriation of genetic resources ( Memento from November 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive )

[Mayrhofer1992-18] Manfred Mayrhofer : Etymological Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan. Volume 2, University Press C. Winter, Heidelberg 1992, entry “nimba-” (p. 44).