Post Market Analysis of Some Neem Products Sold in Nigeria

Context: The wide acceptability of herbal medicines as finished herbal products is hindered by the lack of quality control profile and total trust in the purity, safety efficacy and identity of the herbal product. Aim: The study evaluated the pharmacognostic, physicochemical, chromatographic properties and microbial load of commercially packaged neem products in Nigeria towards ascertaining its identity, content and purity. Settings and Design: Finished neem products were randomly purchased from different market sources and tested for compliance to already established standards documented by WHO, NHP, WAHP and USP. Materials and Methods: The macroscopic, microscopic, physicochemical and chromatographic properties of finished neem products were evaluated using standard procedures. Chemical-markers such as rutin and quercetin were quantified in the products using a validated HPLC method. Microbiological quality (bacterial and fungal counts) were assessed according to USP and WHO methods and guidelines. Descriptive statistics was used in the study. Results were represented in percentages and mean with respect to standard deviation where appropriate. Results: Macroscopic and microscopic evaluations showed the absence of adulterants and foreign matter and the presence of characteristic features of Azadirachta indica. Physico-chemical tests depicted varying results indicating differing sources of collection and possible soil types. Conclusion: The macro, microscopic, physicochemical, chemical and microbiological properties of neem products towards checks for identification and purity have been established. The neem products contained primarily Azadirachta indica and is considered safe for consumption. The results obtained are beneficial towards enriching current monographs of the neem products for commercialization.

Key words: Pharmacognostic, Microscopy, Microbial load, Validation, HPLC.