Solvent Extraction of Neem Oil from Neem Seed for Development of Ecofriendly Pesticides

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to study the efficacy of the extraction and isolation of natural toxic constituents present in some well known tree borne oil seeds for effective utilization in pesticide formulations. Neem seed kernels prior to their extraction for oil were pre-treated in single stage with different solvents, viz., isopropanol, acetone and ethanol, in pure as well as in aqueous forms. The aqueous ethanol (water: ethanol 15: 85 v/v) was also employed for three stage counter-current pre-treatment of neem seed kernels, which gave the best results. Further, development of safer pesticides from natural products has been necessitated due to the fact that synthetic organochlorine and organo phosphorus pesticides have created health hazards to mammals and have polluted the ecosystem.