Botany
A smooth tree growing to a height of 8 to 25 meters. Compound leaves are 20 to 25 cm long, with 5 to 8 leaflets that are smooth, ovate, 6 to 15 cm long, with a larger terminal one, pointed at the tip and usually rounded at the base. Flowers are fragrant and numerous, purplish, pink or nearly white, 1.5 cm long, on axillary and hairy racemes 12 to 20 cm long. Pods are woody, smooth, and oblong, 5 to 7 cm long, 5 to 8 mm thick, beaked at the apex, single seeded measuring 3 to 5 cm long.

Distribution
Common along the seashore and border of lakes.

Chemical constituents and properties
Contains alkaloids demethoxy-kanugin, gamatay, glabrin, glabrosaponin, kaempferol, kanjone, kanugin, karangin, neoglabrin, pinnatin, pongamol, pongapin, quercitin, saponin, b-sitosterol and tannin.
Seeds yield a thick, reddish brown oil known as pongam oil (also called pangamol or hongay oil) employed medicinally and as an illuminant and in the manufacture of soaps and candles.
The bark contains a bitter alkaloid.
Seeds are febrifuge, tonic and antiseptic.
Oil antiseptic and stimulant, stomachic and chologogue.
In Ayurvedic medicine, the root and bark are anthelminthic.


Parts used and preparation
Seeds, roots and bark.

Uses
Folkloric
Decoction of leaves given to children forbronchitis and cough.
Decoction of leaves used for a variety of gastric maladies (tympanism, dyspepsia, diarrhea).
Decoction of leaves used as bath for rheumatic joints.
Juice of stems, leaves, and roots for painful joints.
Gastric disorders (tympanism, dyspepsia, diarrhea): Decoction of leaves as needed.
Hemorrhoids: Use finely pounded leaves as poultice or roll into an elongated mass and insert into rectum as a suppository, at bedtime.
Skin disease: Roast seeds, pound and apply over afftected area.
Skin ulcers: Crush roots or leaves and apply juice over affected areas.
Mixture of oil and zinc oxide used for eczema.
Oil also used for pityriasis versicolor and other fungal skin problems.
Seed oil used to treat scabies, herpes and rheumatism.
Poultice of leaves used for wounds infested with maggots.
Juice of roots with coconut milk used for treatment of gonorrhea.
Flowers used for diabetes.
Bark yields a black gum used for treating wounds from poisonous fish.
Others
Seed oil used as illuminant and in the manufacture of soaps and candles.
Bark used for making strings and rope.
Seeds are used to poison fish.
Dried leaves used in stored grains to repel insects.
Twigs used as chewstick for cleaning teeth.
Ash of wood used for dyeing.
Studies
• Pongam oil has shown inhibitory effects on Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pulilus, Escherichia coli. Pseudomonas mangiferae, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and albus, Xanthomas campestris.
• Biofuel plant source: Studied for potential use as biodiesel plant. A pilot project in India showed pongamia biodiesel to require little or no engine modification in up to 20% blend with diesel, with substantial 30% reduction in un-burnt hydrocarbons, 20% carbon monoxide, and 25% particulate matter, no sulfur, with a 10% inbuilt oxygen that is a plus for combustion with a favorable Cetane of 51 (46, the lower limit for good combustion rating). It yields fruits and seeds by the 4th to 7th year, with seed yield from 10-250 kilos per tree. Pongamia's non-edible "Karanja oil" has properties similar to conventional diesel, but with cleaner emissions, nonopolyaromatic, with lesser toxic smoke and soot. Pongamia byproducts can be used as cattle feed supplement. The leftover portion of Pongamia seeds contains up to 30 per cent protein and can be fed to cattle, sheep and poultry.
• Studies on Pongamia pinnata leaves: the mechanism(s) of action in infectious diarrhea - A study on the crude decoction of dried leaves selective antidiarrheal action with efficacy against cholera and enteroinvasive bacterial strains causing bloody diarrhea episode.

Availability
Wild-crafted.