Prolonged murine genotoxic effects of crude extracted from neem

Oral administration of a crude ethanol extract of the leaves of neem (Azadirachta indica A juss) to adult Swiss albino mice for 7 days at 5 mg, 10 mg or 20 mg/10 g bw/day significantly increased the incidence of structural and mitosis disruptive changes in metaphase chromosomes of bone marrow cells on days 8, 15 and 35th of observation. It is proposed that one or other of the many constituents of the extract, along with genera free radicals, interfered with DNA to yield chromosome strand breakage or produced spindle disturbances, inducing belated genotoxic effects.