Karanja

Biological Source

Karanja consists of seeds of Pongamia pinnata (Linn.) Merr, Syn. Pongamia glabra vent.(Family - Leguminosae),a medium sized glabrous tree with a short bole and spreading crown and found almost throughout India upto an altitude of 1200 m.

Synonyms

Sanskrit :- Karanjaka, Naktamala, Naktahva, Ghrtakaranja

Assam :- Korach

Bengali :- Nata Karanja, Dahara Karanja

English :- Smooth leaved pongamia

Gujrati :- Kanajo, Karanji

Hindi :- Dithouri, Karuaini

Kannada :- Honge, Hulagilu

Kashmiri :- Kath

Malayalam :- Avittal, Ungu, Unu, Pungu

Marathi :- Karanja

Oriya :- Karnja

Punjabi :- Karanj

Tamil :- Pungan, Pongana

Telugu :- Lamiga, Kanuga

Urdu :- Karanj

Description

A) Macroscopic

Seed usually one and rarely two, elliptic or reniform in shape, 1.7-2.0 cm long and 1.2-1.8 cm broad, wrinkled with reddish leathery testa, micropylar end of cotyledons slightly depressed while other side semi-circular in shape.

B) Microscopic

Transverse section of seed shows, testa composed of a layer of palisade like outer epidermis, filled with brown pigment, covered externally with a thick cuticle, a layer of large, thin walled, somewhat rectangular cells, 2-4 layers of thick-walled parenchyma cells, a few rows of cells with small inter-cellular spaces, 2-3 layers of thick walled elongated cells, a few layers of spongy parenchyma having large inter-cellular spaces, a number of parenchyma cells containing brown pigment, cotyledons composed of outer layer of epidermis with cylindrical cells, externally covered with thin cuticle, epidermis followed by rectangular to polygonal cells of mesophyll, filled with globules, also present scattered in this region.

Identity, Purity and Strength

Foreign matter :- Not more than 1 per cent,

Total Ash :- Not more than 3 per cent,

Acid-insoluble ash :- Not more than 0.1 per cent,

Alcohol-soluble extractive :- Not less than 23 per cent,

Water-soluble extractive :- Not less than 13 per cent,

Active Constituents

Fixed oil, flavones and traces of essential oil.

Properties and Action

Rasa :- Katu, Tikta

Guna :- Tiksna

Virya :- Usna

Vipaka :- Katu

Karma :- Krmijit, Kushaghna, Kaphavataghna, Vranasodhana

Important Formulations

Aragvadhadi Kvath Churna, Pathyadilepa

Therapeutic Uses

Vrana, Krmi, Kustha

Dose

0.25 g of the drug in powder form

5-10 g of the drug for decoction