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A Review on Pongamia pinnata (L.): Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties

Akshay G. Fugare *¹, Rajkumar V. Shete ², Vishal S. Adak ³, Krishna Murthy G. ⁴

¹ M Pharm. Student, Department of Pharmacology, Rajgad Dnyanpeeth’s College of Pharmacy, Bhor-412206 Dist-Pune, (M.S) India.

² Principal, Department of Pharmacology, Rajgad Dnyanpeeth’s College of Pharmacy, Bhor-412206 Dist-Pune, (M.S) India.

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Rajgad Dnyanpeeth’s College of Pharmacy, Bhor-412206 Dist-Pune, (M.S) India.

⁴ Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacognosy, Rajgad Dnyanpeeth’s College of Pharmacy, Bhor-412206 Dist-Pune, (M.S) India.

Introduction:

Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre belongs to the Fabaceae family, a medium-sized perennial tree commonly known in Hindi as Karanja and in English as Indian beech. In India, Australia Bangladesh, and China, it is widely distributed. Pongamia pinnata has been documented in a number of traditional medicinal systems for the cure of various human diseases and foods. It includes alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, hormones, glycosides, karangin, glabrin, kanugin, and fixed oils, as well as other phytoconstituents. Historically, P. pinnata has been used as a folk medicinal plant, mostly in the Indian medicine systems of Ayurveda and Siddha. The anti-inflammatory, anti-nonciceptive, antioxidant, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-fungal, anti-plasmodial, anti-ulcer, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-lipoxidative, anti-hyperammonic and analgesic functions are available in plant extracts. The tree is known for its multipurpose advantages and as a potential biodiesel source. On average, the seeds are stated to contain around 28-34% oil with a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids.^1,2,3

Synonyms: ^1,4

Pongamia pinnata is sometimes referred to by different synonyms, such as

• Millettia pinnata (L.) Panigrahi
• Derris indica (Lam.)
• Pongamia glabra Vent.
• Pongamia pinnata Merr.
• Bennett Millettia novo-guineensis Kane. & Hat

Taxonomical Classification of Pongamia pinnata (L.) ²

Kingdom - Plantae

Subkingdom - Tracheobionta

Super division - Spermatophyta

Division - Magnoliophyta

Class - Magnoliopsida

Subclass - Rosidae

Order - Fabales

Family - Fabaceae

Genus - Pongamia

Species - Pinnata

Botanical description ¹

Pongamia pinnata is a fast-growing tree that ranges 40 feet in height & spreads, creating a wide-ranging, spreading canopy that casts moderate shade, according to Allen and Allen (1981). All of this plant's evocative botanical characters are listed and its vernacular names and synonyms are given in Table 1.

Plant type: -

A tree of medium height, evergreen, annual and deciduous.

           Height: Thirty-five to fourty feet

           Texture: Medium

           Growth rate: Fast

           Chromosome number: 22

Growing requirements: -

Light requirement: tree raises in full sun.

Soil tolerances: clay, loam, sandy, slightly alkaline, acidic, well-drained.              

Drought tolerance: high Vaporizer

Salt tolerance: moderate

Winter interest: no special winter

Root: - Taproot is thick and long, lateral roots are numerous and well developed.

Leaf: - Odd pinnate compound, alternate, 2 to 4 inches, evergreen, hairless.

Flower: - Lavender, violet, white, 2-4 together, pea-shaped, short-stalked, 15-18mm long.

Pods: - Smooth, brown, thick-walled, rough, indehiscent, 1-2 grainy, 3-6cm long and 2-3cm tall.

Seed: - Ovoid or elliptical, compressed, been-like, 10-15 mm long, dark brown, oily.

Bark: - The inside is thin gray to grayish brown and yellow.

Table 1: Vernacular names of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre.

(A)       (B)       (C)      (D)

Figure 1: Pongamia pinnata: A) The whole plant B) Leaves C) Fruits D) Seeds.

Medicinal uses according to the parts of Pongamia pinnata plant ²

Phyto-chemistry: ⁵

1. Contents of Leaves:

• Alkaloid
• Carbohydrates
• Flavonoids- Kaempferol, Quercetin, Rutin ¹
• Tannin
• Saponin
• Phytosterol

1. b) Contents of seeds

• Karangin
• Kaempferol
• Kanugin
• Kankone
• Alkaloids dimethoxy-kanugin
• Glabrin
• Gamatay
• Glabrosaphonin
• Tannin
• β-sitosterol
• Saponin
• Quercetin
• Pongapin
• Pinnatin
• Pongamol
• Neoglabrin

1. c) Contents of seed oil:

• Karanjin (S₁₈H₂₂O₄)
• Pongamol
• Glabrachalcone
• Kanjone
• Pongapin

1. d) Content of bark

• Resin
• Contains a bitter alkaloid
• Sugar
• Mucilage

From the stem bark of P. pinnata two new compound

• 3-methoxy-(3,4-dihydro 3-hydroxy-4-acetoxy)-2,2-dimethylpyrano-(7,8:5,6)-flavone
• 3-methoxy-(3,4-dihydro 4-hydroxy-3-acetoxy)-2,2-dimethylpyrano-(7,8:5,6)-flavone
• Ovaliflavanone A
• Isolonchocaprin
• Dimethylallylflavonone
• Caryophyllene oxide
• Obovatachalcone

Pharmacological Properties:

• Anti-inflammatory activity: In acute, subacute and chronic inflammation models, the authors demonstrated the anti-inflammatory efficacy of 70% ethanolic extract of pinnata leaves in rats. These findings indicate that the extract of Pongamia pinnata leaves has substantial anti-inflammatory activity without ulcerative activity, indicating its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent for use in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.⁶
• Cardioprotective activity: The authors investigated the cardioprotective activity of pinnata in diabetic rats with streptozotocin-nicotinamide. The authors researched the effect of Pongamia pinnata stem bark petroleum ether extract on cardiomyopathy in diabetic rats.⁷
• Antinociceptive and Antipyretic Activity: Pongamia pinnata leaves have antinociceptive and antipyretic behaviors. In this study, the authors tested the antinociceptive efficacy of the 70% ethanolic extract of pinnata leaves in various pain models in rats and mice. Furthermore, in Brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia in rats, Pongamia pinnata leaves extract was also evaluated for its antipyretic effect. The findings showed that the extract of Pongamia pinnata leaves has marked antinociceptive and antipyretic activity.⁸
• Wound healing, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant Activity: In wistar rats, the authors assessed the wound healing, antioxidant ability and anti-microbial of Pongamia Pinnata. Increased wound contraction and tensile strength, increased hydroxyproline and hexosamine content, antioxidant action and moderate antimicrobial activity are shown in methanol extracts of pinnata leaf to promote early wound healing demonstrated by P. pinnata. ⁹
• Anticonvulsant activity: The authors tested the anticonvulsant efficacy in laboratory animals of the petroleum ether extract of Pinnata stem bark and its fractions. P. pinnata stem bark-petroleum ether extract has been tested against convulsions caused in mice by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), picrotoxin (PTX), maximal electroshock (MES), strychnine (STY) and isoniazid (INH). The outcome showed that P. pinnata stem bark-petroleum ether extract had a strong anticonvulsant effect.¹⁰
• Antiviral activity: Antiviral activity was demonstrated by the crude aqueous seed extract. It complete inhibited the growth of type 1(HSV-1) and (HSV-2) herpes simplex virus at 1 and 20 mg/ml (w/v) concentrations, respectively, and showed complete absence of cytopathic influence. The crude extract of dried leaves showed no action against the rota virus. The safety effect of Karanja seed extract 24 was demonstrated by acute and chronic toxicological studies in Swiss albino rats. The antiviral activity of bis (2-methylheptyl) phthalate secluded from pinnata leaves against White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) of Penaeus monodon Fabricius was evaluated.¹¹
• Anti-diabetic activity: Oral administration of ethanolic extract of pinnata flowers (300 mg/kg bw) showed substantial anti-hyperglycemic effects, which significantly decreased blood glucose levels to a degree close to that of the reference drug glibenclamide (600 μg/kg bw) in diabetic alloxane-induced rats (Punitha and Manoharan, 2006). The aqueous extract of the flower also displayed strong antihyperglycemic activity and raised the level of plasma insulin significantly. In alloxan-induced diabetic rats, the extract also regulated the actions of glucose-6-phosphatase and hexokinase.¹²
• Antibacterial Activity: Pongamia pinnata leaf chloroform extract demonstrated higher antibacterial action against E-coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while acetone extract was more active than normal against E-coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gentamycin). Compared to the standard, the petroleum ether extract didn’t demonstrate significant antibacterial activity.¹³
• Antidiarrhoeal Activity: The antimicrobial effect of the crude decoction of dried Pongamia pinnata leaves was assessed to determine this behavior. Enterococcus (cholera toxin, Escherichia coli labile toxin, stable toxin) and enteropathogenic E-coli adherence and invasion of enteroinvasive E-coli and Shigella flex epithelial cells were also evaluated for their effects on development and action. This research shows that Pongamia pinnata decoction had selective anti-diarrhoeal action against cholera and enteroinvasive bacteria that triggered the episode of bloody diarrhoea.¹⁴
• Antiprotozoal activity: The plant had been documented against Plasmodium falciparum for its anti-plasmodial activity.¹⁵
• Anti-Ulcer activity: The methanol root extract of pinnata has been reported to provide substantial defense against aspirin-induced mucosal damage and has a potential to minimize acetic acid-induced ulcers after 10 days of treatment. With the cessation of mucosal defense factors such as mucin secretion, mucosal cell glycoproteins, life span of mucosal cells, cell proliferation and lipid peroxidation prevention, the extract showed ulcer protective effects.¹⁶
• Anti-hyperglycemic & anti-lipid peroxidative activity: Orally administration of ethanolic extract of pinnata flowers has been reported to show important antihyperglycemic and anti-lipid peroxidative effects and improvement of the antioxidant protection system in diabetic rats induced by alloxan. Oral administration of the extract of the flower (300mg/kg bw) exhibited antihyperglycemic action which considerably reduce the blood glucose concentration in a similar extent to that of the reference drug glibenclamide (600mg/kg bw) in alloxan -induced diabetic rats. The findings indicated that treatment with Pongamia pinnata extract could be used in diabetic patients as a safe alternative to anti-hyperglycaemic medications.^17,18
• Neuroprotective Activity: The current study showed a neuroprotective impact of pinnata stem bark ethanol extract on monosodium glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Neurotoxicity was caused by intraperitoneal route injection of 2 g/kg body weight per day for 7 days of monosodium glutamate. P. pinnata stem bark ethanol extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) was orally administered after 1 h of monosodium glutamate therapy. As the normal drug for comparison, dextromethorphan (30 mg/kg, p.o.) was used. The study indicates that stem bark of Pongamia plant ethanolic extract has important neuroprotective activity in albino rats.¹⁹
• Anti-Lice activity: In discovering novel anti lice agent for medicinal plants, the growing trend of pediculoicidal drug resistance to the terms head louse laid the found attraction for research. Different extracts of Pinnata leaves in the sample Checked against head louse pediculus humanus capitis. The outcome indicated that P. E. Extract demonstrated mild pediculocidal effects with anti and methanol extract.^20,21

Conclusion:

The present review shows that the significance of Pongamia pinnata (karanja) as an essential medicinal plant was defined by the plant parts for its pharmacological properties and its indications. In several countries, particularly in India, Pongamia pinnata (Karanja) has been extensively used as a traditional medicine. In the traditional systems of medicines, such as Ayurveda and Unani, the Pongamia pinnata plant is used for anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, anti-playsmodial, anti-nociceptive, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-ulcer, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-hyperammonic and antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, anticonvulsant activity.

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