Mahanimba
Melia azedarach
Mahanimba (Melia azedarach) is a plant drug, also called Dreka, Mahanimbah and Ramyaka.
| Botanical name | Melia azedarach |
|---|---|
| Family | Meliaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Sapindales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 5914287 · Wikidata Q162171 · NCBI Taxonomy 155640 |
| Sanskrit | Dreka, महानिम्बः (mahānimbaḥ), Ramyaka, रम्यकः (ramyakaḥ) |
|---|---|
| Hindi | बकायन (bakāyana), बकैन (bakaina), Drek |
| English | Persian Lilac |
| Tamil | Malaivembu, மலை வேம்பு |
| Malayalam | Malaveppu |
| Telugu | Turakavepa |
| Kannada | Kadu bevu |
| Marathi | Bakana Nimb |
| Bengali | Ghoranim |
| Gujarati | Bakai Nimbu, Bakan Limado |
| Urdu | Neem |
| Punjabi | Bakain, Drek |
| Assamese | Khammaga |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, MAHANIMBA (Stem Bark) monograph, Hindi "Bakain, Drek"; MMPND (Univ. of Melbourne Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database), Melia page, Hindi line "बकैन Bakain, बकाना नीम्ब Bakānā nīmba, बकायन Bakayan, महानीम Mahanimb".; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, MAHANIMBA (Stem Bark) monograph, Sanskrit synonyms "Ramyaka, Dreka".; MMPND (Univ. of Melbourne), Melia page, Sanskrit line "महानिंब Mahanimbah"; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India monograph title MAHANIMBA for Melia azedarach.; MMPND Melia page, Hindi line "बकैन Bakain"; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, MAHANIMBA monograph, Hindi "Bakain, Drek".; MMPND Melia page, Tamil line "காட்டு வேம்பூ Kattu vembhu, மலை வேம்பு Malai vembu, Malaivenimpu"; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, MAHANIMBA monograph, Tamil "Malaivembu".. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2008 to 2024, every one with a DOI.
- 1Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- 1Other clinical studies and reviews
- 10Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Persian Lilac |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Tikta, Kashaya | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Ruksha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Sheeta | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsules, Tablets, Taila (medicated oil), Lepa (topical paste), Svarasa (fresh juice)
Standard Dosage: 3-6 g bark powder per day; 50-100 mL decoction twice daily; 500-1000 mg standardized extract daily; external application as directed
Optimal Timing: Before meals when traditionally used for antiparasitic and appetite-stimulating purposes; after meals when traditionally used for hepatoprotective purposes; topical application twice daily
Storage: Store below 25 deg C in airtight, light-resistant containers. Bark powder in moisture-proof containers. Topical oils in amber bottles at room temperature. Mark clearly as ‘Not for unsupervised use’ for internal formulations.
Marker Compounds: Melianone, Nimbolide, Meliatoxin (control for safety), Vanillin, Beta-sitosterol, Kaempferol, Scopoletin
Synergistic Combinations
- Nimba/Neem (antimicrobial and antidermatosis synergy)
- Haridra (anti-inflammatory combination)
- Khadira (traditionally paired for blood purification and skin conditions)
- Kutaja (traditionally paired for diarrhea and intestinal parasites)
- Patola (Pitta-balancing skin formulation)
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses1
- 2023. Systematic review on the anxiolytic and hypnotic effects of flower extracts in in vivo pre-clinical studies published from 2010 to 2020Phytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 37039741 · doi:10.1002/ptr.7830
Other clinical studies and reviews1
- 2021. Limonoids From the Genus Melia (Meliaceae): Phytochemistry, Synthesis, Bioactivities, Pharmacokinetics, and ToxicologyFrontiers in pharmacology. PMID 35140606 · doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.795565
Laboratory and animal studies10
- 2024. Physicochemical and Emulsifying Properties of Melia azedarach GumScientifica. PMID 39220731 · doi:10.1155/2024/3308441
- 2024. Melia azedarach L. reduces pulmonary inflammation and mucus hypersecretion on a murine model of ovalbumin exposed asthmaJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 37979816 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.117426
- 2024. Chemical Constituents from the Fruit of Melia azedarach and Their Anti-Inflammatory ActivityAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 39594480 · doi:10.3390/antiox13111338
- 2023. Bioactive Azadirachta indica and Melia azedarach leaves extracts with anti-SARS-CoV-2 and antibacterial activitiesPloS one. PMID 36888689 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0282729
- 2023. Limonoids from the roots of Melia azedarach and their anti-inflammatory activityPhytochemistry. PMID 37739201 · doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2023.113869
- 2022. Pharmaceutical Assessment of Melia azedarach Gum as a Binder and Disintegrant in Immediate-Release TabletsTheScientificWorldJournal. PMID 35401058 · doi:10.1155/2022/9810099
- 2022. Triterpenoids from the fruits of Melia azedarach L. and their cytotoxic activitiesPhytochemistry. PMID 35716716 · doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113280
- 2022. Phytochemical and Antioxidant Profile of the Medicinal Plant Melia azedarach Subjected to Water Deficit ConditionsInternational journal of molecular sciences. PMID 36362399 · doi:10.3390/ijms232113611
- 2015. Pediculicidal treatment using ethanol and Melia azedarach LParasitology research. PMID 25758585 · doi:10.1007/s00436-015-4394-2
- 2008. Human Melia azedarach poisoningClinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.). PMID 18763152 · doi:10.1080/15563650802310929
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.