Native to China, India, and Iran, Melia azedarach – also known as Chinaberry (Ku-lian), Pride of China, Indian lilac, Persian lilac, and white cedar – is a large nondeciduous tree now cultivated throughout the world.1-3 The leaves and fruits of this member of the Meliaceae family have been found to exhibit anthelmintic and antifeedant activity toward insects.4 The root bark or dried stem bark of the plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat dermatoses and to expel and repel worms.5,6M. azedarach has also been used in Ayurveda3; it is known as Bakayn in India and Pakistan, where it has been used in traditional medicine to treat leprosy, scrofula, nausea, vomiting, thirst, and eruptive skin conditions.3,7
Traditional indications
Cropley and Hasegawa noted in 2007 that M. azedarach was used in the 19th century in the United States primarily as an anthelmintic, but also to treat tinea capitis and to eliminate lice.Further, they noted that the plant, which was widely cultivated in the South, was used, according to the literature of the 1800s, as a diuretic, as well as to promote hair growth, and treat scalp eruptions, fever, and malaria.8
A 2006 ethnopharmacologic study by Saikia et al. of medicinal plants used in Assam (Northeast India) to treat skin disorders and for cosmetic purposes revealed that M. azedarach was one of the primary plants used for medicinal purposes, including 18 skin conditions such as acne, burns, carbuncles, abscesses, measles, pediculosis, cellulitis, and prickly heat.9
Four years later, in an ethnopharmacologic study of medicinal plants used to treat cutaneous disorders and in folk cosmetics, Abbasi et al. interviewed residents in 30 remote tribal communities in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, finding that M. azedarach was one of 15 plant species identified as curative for numerous skin diseases, including boils, acne, and scabies.10
Biologic activity
Various constituents of M. azedarach have been associated with a wide range of biologic activity. The antifungal activity of the plant has been attributed to its hydroxycoumarin content; anti-inflammatory activity to its monoterpenes; bacteriostatic properties to its beta-carboline alkaloids; antiviral effects to its meliacin and meliacarpin; and insecticidal and antifeedant activity to its limonoids, which belong to the tetranortriterpenoid class of compounds.7,11 Limonoids also are reputed to confer antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activities.12 Recent research suggests the potential of M. azedarach to offer a correspondingly broad impact on various conditions.
Forest & Kim Starr
The leaves and fruits of Melia azedarach have been found to exhibit anthelmintic and antifeedant activity toward insects.
Anticancer potential
Zhou et al. isolated new ring C-seco limonoids from Brazilian M. azedarach in 2004 and evaluated their cytotoxic activity, finding that two limonoids significantly inhibited HeLa S3 cancer cells.4,11
Dr. Leslie S. Baumann
In 2009, He et al. extracted water-soluble polysaccharides from the fruit of M. azedarach and assessed their cytotoxic activity against four human cell lines in vitro. They found that the major polysaccharide component exhibited potent cytotoxic activity in the BGC-823 cell line.3 Also that year, Wu et al. isolated three new and multiple known steroids from the leaves of Chinese M. azedarach, finding that two of the newly identified steroids – (20S)-5,24(28)-ergostadiene-3-beta,7-alpha,16-beta,20-tetrol and (20S)-5-ergostene-3-beta,7-alpha,16-beta,20-tetrol – and one of the known ones exerted significant cytotoxic impact in three human cancer cell lines (A-549, H460, U251).1
Two years later, Wu et al. isolated two new triterpenoids (21,24-cycloeupha-7-ene-3-beta,16beta,21-alpha,25-tetrol and 3-beta-acetoxy-12-beta-hydroxy-eupha-7,24-dien-21,16-beta-olide) and two new steroids (29-hydroperoxy-stigmasta-7,24(28) xi-dien-3-beta-ol and 24-xi-hydroperoxy-24-vinyl-lathosterol) along with several known related substances from M. azedarach bark. Five of the known compounds demonstrated cytotoxic activity against three human cancer cell lines (A-549, H460, HGC27).6
More recently, Yuan et al. isolated two limonoids, one triterpenoid, one steroid, and one sesquiterpenoid, as well as nine known limonoids from the bark of M. azedarach. In addition, the investigators observed that seven of the limonoids exhibited significant inhibitory properties against five human tumor cell lines (HL-60, SMM-C7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480).5
Efficacy against head lice
In 2007, Carpinella et al. investigated in vitro the pediculicidal and ovicidal activity of an M. azedarach extract against Pediculus humanus capitis, noting the increasing resistance of head lice to synthetic drugs. A combination of 20% ripe fruit extract with 10% ripe fruit oil was found to be the most effective in eradicating adult lice (96.5%). The investigators also prepared a formulation of extract and oil at 10% combined with an emulsifier and preservatives that yielded 92.3% mortality of adult lice and complete inhibition of nymph emergence. They concluded that the use of M. azedarach formulations may be a viable and natural way to control head lice.2M. azedarach also has been the key active ingredient in an antimicrobial cream and a preparation to treat tinea pedis.7