Carandzha, Pongamia pinnate, Derris Indian or Indian beech (lat. Pongamia pinnata, Millettia pinnata) – one of the types of Legumes. Belonging to the genus is disputed: either Pongamia or Millettia. Previously also referred to the Derris clan as Derris indica.
Cirrus pongamia is a deciduous tree 15–25 m high.
Leaves are pinnate, glossy, first of burgundy color, after – bright green.
The flowers are white, purple, reddish hues, collected in small brushes.
Seeds are located in brownish pods.
It has a very strongly developed root system, extending 9 m from the tree trunk.
The native land of the species is India, its range is South and Southeast Asia. It grows mainly on stony, sandy and limestone soils, but the roots withstand even brackish water. Plants tolerate light short-term frosts, drought and heat up to + 50 ° С.
The fruits, shoots and seeds of pongamia have long been used in the preparation of traditional medicines.
Pongamia pirinum oil and tar were used as an antidote and for healing wounds when bitten by poisonous fish. Also, the oil is used as an antiseptic, used to moisturize, protect, nourish the skin, suitable for all skin types, effectively copes with free radicals. It is used for the manufacture of lip balms, mosquito creams, massage mixtures, shampoos and dandruff balms, moisturizers, therapeutic ointments for dermatological problems.
Pongamia oil is toxic, it is usually used only for external use. For internal use, it is used in strictly defined doses according to medical prescriptions.
Chemical composition
Pongamy fruits contain seeds up to 2 cm long, containing 27-39% oil. Pongama oil is obtained from seeds by cold pressing. It has a red-brown color in unrefined form and a golden color in refined form. The taste is bitter, the aroma is unpleasant. It contains flavonoids pongamine and karanjin (giving an unpleasant taste and smell), as well as fatty acids – palmitic, stearic, arachidic, oleic, lignoceric, linoleic and eicosenic.
Cirrus pongamia is used in Ayurveda (seed oil, infusions, paste and powder from roots, bark, seeds, flowers and leaves).
Pongamia has antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, antioxidant, tonic, nourishing, softening, moisturizing properties.
The healing properties of pongamia pinnate:
- for the treatment of skin diseases (wounds, ulcers, eczema, cuts, psoriasis, leprosy, abscesses, rashes, leukemia, etc.);
- with rheumatism and joint pain;
- as an anthelmintic;
- with hepatitis, as choleretic;
- for the treatment of eye diseases;
- with headaches;
- with diseases of the respiratory tract, tuberculosis, cough;
- with diseases of the urethra;
- with an enlarged spleen;
- with diabetes;
- with allergies;
- with hemorrhoids;
- for the treatment of cancer and other tumors;
- with digestive problems, constipation, diarrhea, gas;
- as a blood purifier;
- with immune diseases, weakness, strengthens the body;
- with inflammation, as an antipyretic for various diseases.
Included in Reumaker Ultra.