Mahinimba Herb

महानिम्ब हिमो रूक्षास्तिक्तो ग्राही कषायक:│

कफापित्तभ्रमच्छर्दीकुष्ठहल्लासकुजित│रक्त

प्रमेहश्र्वासगुल्मार्शोमूषिकाविषनाशन:│

Botanical Name :Melia azadirachta. Linn.

Classification:

According To Modern

Kingdom –Plantae

Order –Geraniales

Family     –Mliaceae

According To Ayurveda

Charak- Not included in Varga

Sushruta- PippalyadiGana

Bhavprakash- GuducyadiVarga

Other Names :

Scientific Name: Melia Azedarach

Assamese: Khammaga

Bengali: Ghoranim, Mahanim, Gora-Nim

English: Persian Lilac, Chinaberry, Bead Tree, Bastard Cedar, Indian/Barbados/Cape Lilac, Bakain, Drek, Deikna

Gujrati: BakanLimado, BakaiNimbu

Hindi: Bakain, Drek, Deikna, Bakarja, MallaNim

Kannada: KaduBevu

Malayalam: Malaveppu

Marathi: BakanaNimb

Punjabi: Dharek, Bakain, Drek

Sanskrit: Ramyaka, Dreka

Tamil: Malaivembu, MallayVembu, Puvempu, Malaivembu

Telugu: Turakavepa, TarakaVepa

Urdu: Maghz-E-Bakain, Bakaayan

Filipino: Paraiso,Bagaluñga,Balagañgo

French: Lilas Des Antilles, Lilas Des Indes ,FleursLilas, PimentD’eau

German: Zedarachßaum, Paternosterßaum

Indonesia: Marambung, Mindi, Gringging

Italian: Albero Dei Paternostri

Javanese: Gringging

Nepali: Bakena, Bakaina, Bakaino

Trade Name: Persian Lilac

General Information :

Habit – big tree grows upto 40 ft. in height. Trunk – Very thick. Leaves – Compound, very big 20 to 45 cm long, bipinnate, pinnae are opposite or alternate, Ultimate leaflets are ovate or lanceolate, obtusely serrate, glabrous on both the surfaces. Petioles are short and slender. Inflorescence – Axillary panicles. Flowers – Fragrant, long peduncled, lilac coloured, petals are 1.5 cm long. Fruits – Drupe, ellipsoid – globose and 4 seeded.

Types Of Plant’s :

Melia composite.

It’s leaves are bigger and flowers are greenish white.

Properties (Gunadharma)

Rasa-Tikta, Kasaya, Katu

Vipak- Katu

Virya- Sheeta

Guna-Laghu, Ruksha

Specific Parts :

Bark, Root, Seed

Doshaghnata :

Tridoshaghna

Shloka’s :

महानिम्ब हिमो रूक्षास्तिक्तो ग्राही कषायक:│

कफापित्तभ्रमच्छर्दीकुष्ठहल्लासकुजित│रक्त

प्रमेहश्र्वासगुल्मार्शोमूषिकाविषनाशन:│

Benefits :

External Application-

A polutice is prepared with Mahanimba flower and leaves.This polutice is applied to treat the nervous headache.

Oil prepared from seeds of Mahanimba is used in rheumatism.

Gargle of Mahanimba leaves decoction with alum is advisiable in mouth ulcers. Mouth wash with leaves decoction also recommanded in Gingivitis.

Paste of fresh leaves of Mahanimba is used to cure wounds,carbuncles and abscess.

Fruit paste of mahanimba is applied externally in skin allergy.

Washing of private parts with Mahanimba patra decoction cures the vaginal infection.

Internal-

It is useful in gridhrasi, arsha, krimi, raktadushti, kasa, shvasa, kashtartava, skin diseases, chaturthikajvara, daurbalya and in poisoining caused by rat- bite.

Krimi (Worm infestation)

Mahanimbaleaves juice (Melia azadarach) is given internally in the treatment of krimi (Worms). Dose-50-60ml

Prameha (Diabetes)

Mahanimba (Melia azedarach) seed (6) is boiled with rice water, then 5 gm of ghee is added and taken internally, it is good remedy for prameha (Diabetes).

Asthma

An aqueous extract of the heartwood relieves asthmatic attacks.

Dandruff

leaves juice application in hair roots gives good result in dandruff

Hernia

Leaves decoction  is given in  hernia.

Joint pain

Bark paste is applied for joint pain.Boil leaves of Mahanimba applied over the affected part  gives elief from pain in case of gout.

Kidney problem, increased uric acid, serum creatinine

Bark decoction of mahanimba is given in kidney disorders for better result.Dose-30-40ml,twice a day

Eczema,ring worms,burns,Itching-

Local application of freash leaf juice over the affected parts gives good results in eczema,ring worm and itching.

fever-

Root paste of Mahanimba with honey is given to treat the fever

Dose-5 gm Bd for 5 days.

Lice

flowers paste application on the head is effective for  lice.

Leprosy and scrofulous ulcers-

Local application of poultices of Mahanimba bark is advisiable in leprosy and scrofulous ulcers.

Menstrual Problems-

Fresh juice of Mahanimba leaves in a dose of 5ml twice a day is given to treat menstrual disoders like heavy menses,irregular menses.

Arsha-

Small pieces of bark put in to water filled container for whole night.Next day filter it .This liquid is used to treat the ArshasDose-10ml Bd

Bark powder in a dose of 5gm with old jaggery ,twice a day is also recommonded in Arsha.

Sciatica-

Decoction preapared with Mahanimba root bark (10gm), Nirgundi leaves (5-7eaves) and water(400ml)is used to treat the Sciatica.

Internal Parasites-

Advice to chew 25-30 gm of Mahanimba leaves of  for 3 days  for the removal of internal parasites.

Visham jwar,Malaria-

Boil the bark of Mahanimba(5gm) ,tulsi leaves(7 leaves) in 200ml f water and reduced it till 50ml.Filter this solution and take in a dose of 5ml Bd to treat the Malaria.

Formulation (Kalp) :

Bhrihat Manjishtadi Kwath

Jatyadi ghrita

Mahavishgarbha taila

Nimbadi tail

Dosage :

Kavatha – 50 to 100 ml.

Beeja – 1 to 3 gm.

Side Effects-

Fruits of Mahanimba are poisonous in nature.In large amount it can be toxic and produces symptoms like vomitting,abdominal pain,bloody faeces.

7-8 seeds of Mahanimba prove toxic for adults.

It is unsafe during pregnancy and lactation

It can cause mouth burning,vomitting with blood and less amount of urine production.

Overdose of root bark may cause-respiratory pasralysis,tachycardia,ptosis,blueish discolouration of lips and muscle weakness.

It also cause hepatitis,splenomegaly,GI bleeding or circulatory and respiratory failure.

Research Corner :

This study was conducted to determine antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic acitivities of extracts of Melia azedarach bark with methanol/water (9:1 v/v), chloroform, butanol, hexane, water and ethyl acetate. For the determination of the antimicrobial activities, the agar well diffusion method was employed. Cytotoxicity was studied by  brine shrimp lethality assay; antioxidant activities were measured using, 1,1-dipheny1-2-picrylhydrazyl.