Anti-Bacterial and Clastogenic Property of Neem (Azadirachta indica A Juss) Extract

In the present investigation, antimicrobial activities of crude, aqueous, acetone and methanol extracts of neem leaves were tested against twenty one strains of geocarposphere bacteria of peanut and results showed activity against four, two, four and five bacterial strains, respectively. The alcoholic extracts exhibited a higher activity when compared to that of the crude and aqueous extracts.

In vitro experiments on clastogenic property of neem extracts were performed in six-week old laboratory bred Swiss albino mice. The results indicate that the frequency of total abnormal cells increased in comparison to the control group of animals (4.3%) by about three fold (11.6%) three and a half fold (14.0%) and four fold (17.0%) after treatment with lowest (0.5 g/kg), middle (1.0 g/kg), and the highest (2.0 g/kg) doses respectively of the neem extract. The total chromosomes abnormalities increased significantly in lowest (12.3%) middle (15.0%) and highest (20.0%) doses, respectively in comparison to the control (4.6%).