BOTANICAL NAME: PONGAMIA PINNATA LINN PIERRE

FAMILY: Fabaceae

SYNONYMS:

ENGLISH: Millettia pinnata

HINDI: Kanji, Karanj

TAMIL: Pungam

TELUGU: Gaanuga, Kanuga

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:

v Pongamia pinnata seeds contain 19% moisture, 27.5% fatty oil, 17.4% protein, 6.6% starch, 7.3% crude fiber, and 2.4% ash (Bringi, 1987). Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids composition in seeds was reported to be 20.5% and 79.4%, respectively.

USES:                                                                               

v It is commonly used in traditional medicine for the treatment of skin diseases

v Including fungal infections

v It is known to alleviate symptoms of hemorrhoids

v Ulcers

v Liver pain

v Dyspepsia

v Rheumatic problems

v Scabies

v Herpes

v Select cases of leprosy