Pongam Oil

Other Names : Pongamia Oil, Honge oil, Kanuga oil, Karanja oil, Karanj Seed Oil and Pungai oil.
Pongamia oil is derived from the seeds of the Millettia pinnata tree, which is native to tropical and temperate Asia. Millettia pinnata, also known as Pongamia pinnata or Pongamia glabra, is common throughout Asia. The seeds contain pongam oil, a bitter, red brown, thick, non-drying, nonedible oil, 27–36% by weight, which is used for tanning leather, soap, as a liniment to treat scabies, herpes, and rheumatism and as an illuminating oil (Burkill, 1966). Also used for lubrication and indigenous medicine. The oil has a high content of triglycerides, and its disagreeable taste and odor are due to bitter flavonoid constituents, pongamiin and karanjin.
See also : Pongam Tree

Special Precautions of Pongam Tree

• Only External Use. Not suitable for intake!
• Non-toxic, hardly irritating and not sensitizing with external use.
• Shelf life easily 2 years.
• Do not use in children younger than 6 years.
• the metabolites karanjin and pongamol are both toxic to fish

Health Benefits and Uses of Pongam Tree

Antiseptic, antiparasitic, cleansing. Insecticide. Antirheumatic. Up to about 75% unsaturated fatty acids (about 3% omega 3 - about 23% omega 6 - about 48% omega 9)
External use : The seed and seed oil of this plant have been used for treating various inflammatory and infectious diseases such as leucoderma, leprosy, lumbago, muscular and articular rheumatism (Nadkarni, 1954).

• It is a non-drying oil. It is difficult to get into the skin.
• Has a sun protection factor of 20 and is therefore used as sun protection oil.
• To be used for scabies, itching, herpes, eczema, ulcers and rheumatism complaints.
• Pongam oil showed inhibitory effects on Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pulilus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas mangiferae, Salmonella typhi, Sarcina lutea, Staphylococcus albus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Xanthomonas campestris, but did not inhibit Shigella sp. (Chaurasia and Jain, 1978).
• For dry and flaky skin (reduces dander), dandruff, psoriasis. (Karanja is often mixed with Sesame oil)
• 100% pure or 10 to 50% as an addition to other base oils.