Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
neem oil
References
Britannica AI Icon

neem oil

chemical compound
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Neem oil is derived from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), a fast-growing tree native to the Indian subcontinent. This oil has been utilized for centuries in Ayurvedic and folk medicine, as well as in cosmetics and organic farming.1

The primary active insecticidal compound in neem oil is azadirachtin. Azadirachtin disrupts insect hormones, interfering with molting and preventing proper development into adults. It also acts as a feeding inhibitor. Neem oil is also effective as a fungicide against various plant diseases. While generally having low toxicity for mammals, neem oil and other parts of the neem tree are unsafe for consumption by pregnant women.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. neem
  2. neem-oil
  3. azadirachtin

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.