PONGAMIA PINNATA: AN OVERVIEW

The word herb, as used in herbal medicine, is also known as botanical medicine or as Phytotherapy or Phytomedicine which means a plant or plant part is used to make medicine to assist in the healing process during illness and disease. So there are many herbal remedies individually or in combination have been recommended in various medicinal treatises for the cure of different diseases. It contains various phytoconstituents belonging to alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, fixed oils, and carbohydrates. The roots of Pongamia pinnata are good for cleaning foul ulcers, cleaning teeth, strengthening gums and gonorrhoea. The root paste is used for local application in scrofulous enlargement. The fresh bark of Pongamia pinnata is sweet and mucilaginous to taste, soon become bitter and acrid. It is antihelmintic and useful in beri-beri, ophthalmology, dermatopathy, vaginopathy, and ulcers. Leaves of Pongamia pinnata are digestive, laxative, antihelmintic and are good for diarrhea, leprosy, dyspepsia and cough. Flowers are useful to quench dipsia in diabetes and for alleviating vata and kapha. The seeds are antihelmintic, bitter, acrid, haematinic and carminative. They are useful in inflammation, chronic fevers, anaemia and hemorrhoids. The oil is antihelmintic, styptic and recommended for opthalmia, leprosy, ulcers, herpes and lumbago. Its oil is a source of biodiesel.