Volume : 12, Issue : 09, September – 2025
Title:
A REVIEW ARTICLE ON MILLETTIA (PONGAMIA) PINNATA: A MULTIPURPOSE MEDICINAL PLANT
Authors :
Preeti Rathod, Shubham S. Gulhane, Sakshi D. Ambhore
Abstract :
Millettia pinnata (synonym Pongamia pinnata), commonly referred to as Karanja or Indian Beech, is a medium-sized leguminous tree that has attracted immense scientific and industrial attention due to its diverse medicinal, agricultural, and environmental applications. Belonging to the Fabaceae family, this plant is distributed widely across India and Southeast Asia and is now cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. In the Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani systems of medicine, it is prescribed for a variety of ailments including skin diseases, rheumatism, wounds, and diabetes.
Modern scientific investigations have validated its pharmacological properties, demonstrating anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and wound-healing activities, which are largely attributed to bioactive compounds such as karanjin, pongamol, flavonoids, sterols, and fixed oils. In addition to its medicinal relevance, M. pinnata plays a vital role as a nitrogen-fixing tree, a source of renewable biofuel, and an environmentally sustainable solution in agriculture and reforestation. This review consolidates available literature on its botanical features, pharmacognostic standards, physicochemical and phytochemical characteristics, pharmacological activities, industrial applications, and marketed formulations. The paper emphasizes its potential as a multipurpose medicinal plant of immense therapeutic and economic value.
Keywords: Millettia pinnata, Pongamia pinnata, Karanja oil, pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, biofuel, medicinal plants.
Cite This Article:
Please cite this article in press Preeti Rathod et al., A Review Article On Millettia (Pongamia) Pinnata: A Multipurpose Medicinal Plant, Indo Am. J. P. Sci, 2025; 12(09).
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