Neem (Azadirachta indica) bark aqueous extract has potent antisecretory and antiulcer effects in animal models and has no significant adverse effect (Bandyopadhyay et al., Life Sciences, 71, 2845-2865, 2002). The objective of the present study was to investigate whether Neem bark extract had similar antisecretory and antiulcer effects in human subjects. The bark extract when taken at the dose of 30-60 mg twice daily for 10 weeks almost completely healed the duodenal ulcers monitored by barium meal X-ray or by endoscopy. One case of esophageal ulcer (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and one case of gastric ulcer also healed completely when treated at the dose of 30 mg twice daily for 6 weeks. The levels of various blood parameters for organ toxicity after Neem treatment at the doses mentioned above remained more or less close to the normal values suggesting no significant adverse effects. Neem bark extract thus has therapeutic potential for controlling gastric hypersecretion and gastroesophageal and gastroduodenal ulcers.
Clinical studies on the effect of Neem (Azadirachta indica) bark extract on gastric secretion and gastroduodenal ulcer.
