Portal:Islam/Selected biography/13

Siddiqui was the first scientist to bring the medicinal constituents of the Neem tree to the attention of natural products chemists.

Prof Dr Salimuzzaman Siddiqui (Urdu: سلیم الزّماں صدّیقی, Salīmu l-zamāⁿ Ṣiddīqī, pronounced [səliːmʊ z-zəmɑ̃ː sɪd̪d̪iːqi]; 19 October 1897 – 14 April 1994) was a leading Pakistani scientist in natural products chemistry. He is credited for pioneering the isolation of unique chemical compounds from the Neem (Azadirachta indica), Rauwolfia, and various other flora. As the founder director of H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, he revolutionised the research on pharmacology of various domestic plants found in South Asia to extract novel chemical substances of medicinal importance. In addition to his scientific talents, Siddiqui was also a painter, a poet, and a great connoisseur of music. His paintings were exhibited in Germany, India, and Pakistan.