tetranortriterpenoids, salanin and vilasinin.
An infusion of the bark is effective against ascariasis. The activity resides in the inner bark which is bitter but not
Melia azedarach Linn.
Family Meliaceae.
404 Melia composita Wilid.
astringent (outer bark contains tannins and is astringent).
The ethanolic extract of the leaves is fungicidal and antibacterial. The activity is attributed to azadrine and meliotannic acid.
The fruits are considered poisonous to man and animals; contain melianoninol, melianol, melianone, meliandiol, vanfflin and vanillic acid. Vanillic acid analogues show micro- and macro-filaricidal activity.
Gedunin, present in the plant, inhibits Plasmodium falciparum, while the seed extract does not show antimalarial activity against P berghei.
The plant exhibited sedative and psychostimulant properties. Antitu3mour and antiviral activities have also been reported. Intraperitoneal administration ofpartially purified extracts of fresh green leaves reduced the spread of Tacaribe virus (that causes typical encephalitis) to kidneys, liver and brain in inoculated neonatal mice.
Dosage Stem bark—5—10 g (API,
Vol. IV.); leaf, seed, root—50— 100 ml decoction; 3—5 g powder.
(CCRAS.)
Melia composita Wild.
Synonym M. dubia Hiern. non-Cay. Family Meliaceae.
Habitat Eastern Himalayas, Assam, Western Ghats, Ganjam and Deccan up to 1,800 m.
English Hill Neem, Malabar Neem, Common Bead tree.
Folk Malaivembu (Tamil). Action Fruit—anthelmintic; used
in skin diseases.
The leaves and seeds gave tetranortriterpenoids, compositin and compositolide. The fruit gave salannin. The heartwood yielded a triterpenoid.
Tamil and Malyalam synonyms (Malaivembu and Malavembu) are common to Melia azedarach and Melia composita.
