Нім

The tree

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a tree of the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of Southeast Asia, but is naturalized and grown around the world in tropical and subtropical areas. The neem tree is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15-20 metres, and rarely 35-40 metres. It is evergreen, shedding many of its leaves during the dry winter months. The neem tree is noted for its drought resistance. The fruit is an olive-like drupe that varies in shape from elongate oval to nearly roundish.

The oil

Neem oil, also known as margosa oil, is a vegetable oil pressed from the fruits and seeds of the neem. Neem oil is much like other vegetable oils in composition, being composed primarily of triglycerides of oleic, stearic, linoleic, and palmitic acids. Neem seed contains 40-45% of oil. The seed oil also contains glycerides, diverse polyphenols, nimbolide, triterpenes, and beta-sitosterol. The oil contains about 2% of limonoid compounds. Azadirachtin is the most well known and studied triterpenoid in neem oil. Azadirachtin is the most active of the limonoid growth regulators of neem, occurring at 0.2-0.4% in the seeds of the neem tree.

Uses

Neem oil is a potent pesticide used in organic farming. Oil extracted from the seeds goes into soaps, waxes, and lubricants, as well as into fuels for lighting and heating. In rural India neem oil is commonly used to grease cart wheels. In India and Bangladesh it is used for preparing cosmetics such as soap, hair products, body hygiene creams and hand creams. Purified neem oil is also used in nail polish and other cosmetics. More expensive soaps are made by saponifying the crude oil and distilling the resulting fatty acids before adding the lye. The resulting almost colorless and odorless product is suitable for top-quality toilet and laundry soaps. The solid residue left after the oil is removed from the kernels is employed as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Neem leaves are dried in India and placed in cupboards to prevent insects from eating clothes.

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