Antifungal effect of topically administered neem(Azadirachta indica) seed oil cream against Pytiriasis versicolour

Abstract

The study was carried out to evaluate the antifungal effect of Neem seed oil cream against Pytiriasis versicolour infection of the skin. Fifteen samples of 20 g each i.e. three samples each of concentrations, 2.5% w/w, 5.0% w/w,7.5% w/w/ and10.0% w/w neem seed oil cream and a commercial preparation (Whitfield Ointment) were given out to patients randomly. Double blind approach was adopted in prescribing the samples to the patients diagnosed to have Pityriasis vesicolour fungal infection of the skin; double blind in the sense that both clinician and patients were blinded as to the identity of the samples. The clinical responses to neem seed oil cream concentrations 2.5% w/w and 5.0 w/w were not encouraging. However, at concentrations 7.5% w/w and 10.0% w/w , neem seed oil cream showed excellent improvement in clinical conditions of the patients infected with Pityriasis versicolour on their skins. They compared favourably with the commercial control sample.