Harnessing the Phytotherapeutic Treasure Troves of the Ancient Medicinal Plant Azadirachta indica (Neem) and Associated Endophytic Microorganisms
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Published:2020-03-03
Issue:13/14
Volume:86
Page:906-940
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ISSN:0032-0943
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Container-title:Planta Medica
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Planta Med
Author:
Kharwar Ravindra N.1, Sharma Vijay K.12, Mishra Ashish1, Kumar Jitendra12, Singh Dheeraj K.1, Verma Satish K.1, Gond Surendra K.3, Kumar Anuj4, Kaushik Nutan5, Revuru Bharadwaj6, Kusari Souvik6
Affiliation:
1. Mycopathology and Microbial Technology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India 2. Medical School of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, P. R. China 3. Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati, Shantiniketan, India 4. Department of Botany, Buddha PG College, Kushinagar, India 5. Amity Food and Agriculture Foundation, Amity University, Noida, India 6. Institute of Environmental Research (INFU), Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technische Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
Abstract
Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, is an evergreen tree of the tropics and sub-tropics native to the Indian subcontinent with demonstrated ethnomedicinal value and importance in agriculture as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. This ancient medicinal tree, often called the “wonder tree”, is regarded as a chemical factory of diverse and complex compounds with a plethora of structural scaffolds that is very difficult to mimic by chemical synthesis. Such multifaceted chemical diversity leads to a fantastic repertoire of functional traits, encompassing a wide variety of biological activity and unique modes of action against specific and generalist pathogens and pests. Until now, more than 400 compounds have been isolated from different parts of neem including important bioactive secondary metabolites such as azadirachtin, nimbidin, nimbin, nimbolide, gedunin, and many more. In addition to its insecticidal property, the plant is also known for antimicrobial, antimalarial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, hypoglycaemic, antiulcer, antifertility, anticarcinogenic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anxiolytic, molluscicidal, acaricidal, and antifilarial properties. Notwithstanding the chemical and biological virtuosity of neem, it has also been extensively explored for associated microorganisms, especially a class of mutualists called endophytic microorganisms (or endophytes). More than 30 compounds, including neem “mimetic” compounds, have been reported from endophytes harbored in the neem trees in different ecological niches. In this review, we provide an informative and in-depth overview of the topic that can serve as a point of reference for an understanding of the functions and applications of a medicinal plant such as neem, including associated endophytes, within the overall theme of phytopathology. Our review further exemplifies the already-noted current surge of interest in plant and microbial natural products for implications both within the ecological and clinical settings, for a more secure and sustainable future.
Funder
DST, New Delhi, India Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
Publisher
Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Subject
Organic Chemistry,Complementary and alternative medicine,Drug Discovery,Pharmaceutical Science,Pharmacology,Molecular Medicine,Analytical Chemistry
Cited by
34 articles.
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