The ‘Pongamia Tree’ is known as one of the richest and
brightest trees of India. The tree is named as ‘Pongamia
pinnata’ in science. The name ‘Pongamia’ has derived
from the Tamil name, ‘pinnata’ that refers to the ‘Pinnate
leaves’. The tree is a member of the ‘leguminosae’ family.
Its sub family is ‘Papilionaceae’. In the Tamil, this is
generally known as ‘Ponga’, ‘Dalkaramacha’, ‘Pongam’
and ‘Punku’. In both the languages of Hindi and Bengali,
the people named it as ‘Karanj’ or ‘Papar’ or ‘Kanji’. It is
called ‘Karum Tree’ or ‘Poonga Oil Tree’ in English. It is an
IndoMalaysian species, a mediumsized evergreen tree,
common on alluvial and coastal situations from India to
Fiji, from sea level to 1200 m. Now found in Australia,
Florida, Hawaii, India, Malaysia, Oceania, Philippines and
Seychelles
In the months of March and April, the ‘Pongam Tree’
stands as painted in crimson color for a week or so as the
buds develop into wilted, new leaves and just after the
leaves begin to grow mature, the tree attains a gorgeous
glowing lime green color. The ‘Pongam Tree’ is being
cultivated in a large number of gardens and along the
countless roads in India and is becoming the one of the
most admired city trees.
It grows wild in the coastal forests throughout India and
beside the streams and rivers. The ‘Pongam Tree’ is a
mediumsized tree that grows rapidly. It contains a rough
and greybrown bark. The new leaves develop and the
flower bloom in the great numbers almost simultaneously
in this tree. They remain half hidden in the midst of the
leaves. The blossoms are 1.3cm in length and they mass
along the ends of the long stems. These stems rise from
the upper angle of the leaves. The flowers have a minute
stem. They are loose and brown in color and also bear a
calyx that is shaped as cups. There are five white petals
as well as that are traced with the pink or violet color
The fruits of ‘Pongam Tree’ are some timberlike pods that
grow about in length. They are dark grey in color and get
matured just before the next lot of new leaves appears.
Each of the seeds of this tree is covered with a strong
raft. The raft looks like a rubber ship. The ground
underneath the tree always remains covered with a
crackling carpet. The leaves of the best‘Pongam Tree’
have five, seven, or nine oval shaped leaflets that have
pointed tips The leaves are around 15 cm to 30 cm in the
length and each of the leaflets is short stalked. The
leaves are around 15 cm to 30 cm in the length and each
of the leaflets is short stalked. The leaf stems and the
flower stems are normally puffy at their bases. It is one of
the few ‘Nitrogen Fixing Trees’ producing seeds
containing 3040% oil. The present review will possibly
help to the bridge between traditional claims and modern
therapy on Pongamia pinnata.
It contains several phyto constituents belonging to
category flavonoids and fixed oils. The fruits and sprouts
of Pongamia pinnata were used in folk remedies for
tumors. Herbal remedies have been recommended in
various medical treatises for the cure of different
diseases. It has been
recognized in different system of traditional medicines for
the treatment of different diseases and ailments of
human beings, Seed extract of this plant has hypotensive
effects and produce uterine contractions. Powdered seed
is used in bronchitis, chronic fever, whooping cough and
chronic skin diseases and painful rheumatic joints .Seed
oil is used in scabies, leprosy, piles, ulcers, chronic fever,
lever pain and lumbago. Its oil is a source of biodiesel and
it is also used as fuel for cooking and lamps . It has also
alternative source of energy, which is renewable, safe
and non pollutant. Leaves are active against Micrococcus;
their juice is used for cold, cough, diarrhoea, dyspepsia,
flatulence, gonorrhoea and leprosy. Roots are used for
cleaning gums, teeth and ulcers.
Bark is used internally for bleeding piles. Juices from the
plant as well as oil are antiseptic. In the traditional
system of medicines, such as Ayurveda and Unani, the
Pongamia pinnata plant is used for anti-inflammatory ,
anti plasmodial, anti nociceptive, anti hyperglycemias,
anti lipidoxidative, antidiarrhoeal, anti ulcer,
antihyperammonic, CNS depressant activity and
antioxidant.
Geography:
Pongamia pinnata, (syn. Millettiapinnata), also known as
the malapari or karanja tree, has a large native
distribution in Asia and Australia. The species is also
cultivated in Africa, the United States, and other
countries. Recent research has shown the tree has great
potential for reforesting damaged or degraded
landscapes. The tree grows well in humid and subtropical
environments, and its dense root network and thick
taproot make it drought tolerant.
USES:
Pongamia has wide-ranging benefits for both humans and
animals. Valued as an ornamental tree, its fragrant
flowers are a source of pollen and nectar from which bees
produce dark honey. This honey can be harvested for
apiculture and become a source of livelihood for rural
communities. The leaves also have many medicinal
purposes. Oil from the seeds can be used as a liniment
for skin diseases and rheumatic illnesses. It is also used
to treat stomach aches, dyspepsia and liver disease.
Meanwhile, the seed powder is used to help with
bronchitis and whooping cough and is also prescribed as
a tonic for fevers. For livestock farmers, the leaves have
great value as fodder, particularly for cattle and goats.
Additionally, leaf shedding produces large amounts of
organic
Review of Literature
The experimental results obtained from the present study
llustrates that methanolic extracts found To be more
effective to control the pathogens growth compared to
less effective inhibition by Ethanol extract . Infectious
diseases have become the major cause and serious
concern in public Health issues. The occurrence of drug
resistant strains with less susceptibility to antibiotics due
to Mutation is challenges amongst the researcher to
invent newer drugs are in progress. At this Scenario,
evaluation of antimicrobial substances from various
sources of medicinal plants is Considered to be a pivotal
role. Few studies states that Pongamia pinnata L seeds
have Antimicrobial properties and thus being used in
bronchitis, leprosy and chronic skin disease.( Mary sobha
Rani et al.)
In the field of agriculture pinnata L seeds are used as
fertilizer to enhance the soil fertility The phytochemical
investigation of Pongamia pinnata L also indicated the
presence of abundant prenylated flavonoids such as
furanoflavoids, chromenoflavones. The seeds contain a
flavones derivative called pongal. The structures of
Karangin and pongal of Pongamiapinnata L were
elucidated which have antimicrobial activity. However, in
the present study results also exhibited the confirmation
of the antimicrobial property that showed bactericidal
action on the pathogens commonly encountered in
hospitalized patients. Even though, further studies are
required to exploring the mechanism of biochemical
active principle in the seed extract for the inhibitory
action on various pathogens selected in the study. In the
sequential extraction of test plant powders with
Petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol and water, Cassia
fistula and Pongamia pinnata powders gave their lowest
yield in petroleum ether and higher yield in water
extraction. Other remaining plant powders,
Heliotropiumindicum, Mimosa pudica,
Rhinacanthusnasutus and Vernoniazeylanica showed
lower yield for ethylacetate extraction and higher yield
for water extraction. (Emmanuel et al. 2012). In overall,
the yield percentage is highin polar solvents than non
polar or low polar solvents.
Cassia fistula, Heliotropiumindicum and
Vernoniazeylanica had higher amount of polar
compounds compared to other three plant powder,as well
as Mimosa pudica and
Vernoniazeylanica had reveled higher amount of non
polar compounds than other four plant powders . In vitro
antibacterial activity of sequential extracts of Cassia
fistula, Heliotropiumindicum, Mimosapudica,
Rhinacanthusnasutus, Pongamia pinnata and
Vernoniazeylanica against S. aureus and E.coli showed
antibacterial activity in various degrees. Among the
tested extracts, aqueous extract of Mimosa pudica and
ethyl acetate extract of Cassia fistula revealed
significantly higher Inhibition against S. aureus and E. coli
respectively.
