Botany
Bani is a smooth tree growing to a height of 8 to 25 meters. Leaves are compound, 20 to 25 centimeters long, with 5 to 7 leaflets that are smooth, ovate, 6 to 15 centimeters long, with the terminal one larger than the others, pointed at the tip and usually rounded at the base. Flowers are fragrant and numerous, purplish, pink or nearly white, 1.5 centimeters long, borne on axillary and hairy racemes 15 to 20 centimeters long. Pods are woody, smooth, and oblong, 5 to 7 centimeters long, 5 to 8 millimeters thick, beaked at the apex, with a single seed measuring 3.5 to 5 centimeters long.

Distribution
- Along the seashore throughout the Philippines.
- In some localities it extends inwards (Laguna) and near the border of lakes.
- Also occurs in the Mascarene Islands, in tropical Asia, across Malaya to Australia and Polynesia.

Constituents
- Contains alkaloids demethoxy-kanugin, gamatay, glabrin, glabrosaponin, kaempferol, kanjone, kanugin, karangin, neoglabrin, pinnatin, pongamol, pongapin, quercitin, saponin, b-sitosterol and tannin.
- Seeds yield a thick, reddish brown oil known as pongam oil (also called pangamol or hongay oil) employed medicinally and as an illuminant and in the manufacture of soaps and candles.
- Seeds yielded six compounds (two sterols, three sterol derivatives and one dissacharide) together with eight fatty acids (three saturated and five unsaturated). Metabolite yield consisted of ß-sitosteryl acetate and galactoside, stigma sterol, its galactoside, and sucrose. Of the fatty acids, oleic acid occurred in highest amount (44.24%), followed by stearic (29.64%) and palmitic (18.58%) acids.
- The bark contains a bitter alkaloid.
- Fatty acids in the oil include myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic, lignoceric, dihydroxystearic, linolenic, linolic, and oleic acids.
- A watery extract yields mucilage, which is gelatinized by ferric chloride.

Properties
- Seed has a bitter taste, probably from the resinous bitter principle.
- Seeds are febrifuge, tonic and antiseptic.
- Bark decoction give a blue-black color with iodine solution.
- Oil is used as antiseptic and stimulant, stomachic and chologogue. It is applied to skin diseases, scabies, sores and herpes. For eczema, the oil is mixed with zinc oxide.
- An embrocation of equal parts of oil and lemon juice applied in muscular and articular rheumatism, psoriasis, porrigo capitis, and pityriasis.
- Oil also used in pityriasis versicolor and other fungal skin afflictions.
- Oil taken internally as stomachic and chologogue for dyspepsia and sluggish livers.
- In Ayurvedic medicine, the root and bark are anthelminthic.
- In Ayurveda and Unani medicine, used as antiinflammatory, anti-plasmodial, anti-noniceptive, antihyperglycemic, anti-lipidoxidative, antidiarrheal, anti-ulcer, anti-hyperammonic and antioxidant.

Parts used
Seeds, roots and bark.

Uses
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, decoction of leaves given to children for bronchitis and cough.
- Juice of leaves used for itches and herpes.
- In the Island of Guimaras, bark used by the natives as abortifacient.
- Decoction of leaves used for a variety of gastric maladies (tympanism, dyspepsia, diarrhea).
- Decoction of leaves used as bath for rheumatic joints.
- Juice of stems, leaves, and roots for painful joints.
- Juice of roots used for cleaning foul ulcers and closing fistulous sores.
- For hemorrhoids, poultice of finely pounded leaves, rolled into an elongated mass, insert into rectum as a suppository, at bedtime.
- For skin diseases, roasted seeds are pounded and applied over affected areas.
- For skin ulcers, leaves of crushed roots or leaves are applied over affected areas.
- Mixture of oil and zinc oxide used for eczema.
- In Tanjore, juice of roots mixed with coconut milk and lime water used as a remedy for gonorrhea.
- Oil also used for pityriasis versicolor and other fungal skin problems.
- Seed oil used to treat scabies, herpes and rheumatism.
- Poultice of leaves used for wounds infested with maggots.
- Juice of roots with coconut milk used for treatment of gonorrhea.
- Flowers used for diabetes.
- Bark yields a black gum used for treating wounds from poisonous fish.
- In India, fruits and sprouts used for abdominal turmos; young shoots used for rheumatism.
- In Sri Lanka, seeds used for keloid tumors.
- In Vietnam, plant derived powder used for tumors.
- Oil used as liniment for rheumatism.
- Leaf juice used for cold, cough, diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence, gonorrhea and leprosy.
- Young leaves applied to bleeding hemorrhoids.
- Bark used internally for bleeding piles.
- Powdered seeds, after decortication, used as specific for whooping cough; also used as febrifuge and tonic in asthenic and debilitating conditions.
- Roots used for cleaning gums, teeth and ulcers.
Others
- Oil: Seed oil used as illuminant and in the manufacture of soaps and candles.
- Rope: Bark used for making strings and rope.
- Fish poison: Roots and seeds are used to poison fish in Australia and Madoera.
- Repellent: Dried leaves used in stored grains to repel insects.
- Fodder: Leaves used as fodder in India.
- Twigs used as chewstick for cleaning teeth.
- Dye: Ash of wood used for dyeing.

Biofuel
• Biofuel plant source: Studied for potential use as biodiesel plant. A pilot project in India showed pongamia biodiesel to require little or no engine modification in up to 20% blend with diesel, with substantial 30% reduction in un-burnt hydrocarbons, 20% carbon monoxide, and 25% particulate matter, no sulfur, with a 10% inbuilt oxygen that is a plus for combustion with a favorable Cetane of 51 (46, the lower limit for good combustion rating). It yields fruits and seeds by the 4th to 7th year, with seed yield from 10-250 kilos per tree. Pongamia's non-edible "Karanja oil" has properties similar to conventional diesel, but with cleaner emissions, nonopolyaromatic, with lesser toxic smoke and soot. Pongamia by-products can be used as cattle feed supplement. The leftover portion of Pongamia seeds contains up to 30 per cent protein and can be fed to cattle, sheep and poultry.
• Experimental Study of Oil as Diesel Substitute: Various blends of non-edible vegetable oil, honge (P. pinnata) in India, prepared and tested over a wide range of engine load showed a 15 to 20 percent pongamia methylester-diesel blend could be a better fuel in terms of fuel efficiency and power developed, with improvement in brake thermal efficiency and reduction in brake-specific fuel consumption.

Studies
• Antibacterial: Pongam oil has shown inhibitory effects on Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pulilus, Escherichia coli. Pseudomonas mangiferae, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and albus, Xanthomas campestris. (2) Phytochemical screening revealed carbohydrates, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, tannins and saponins. Results showed a wide range of antibacterial activity.
• Antioxidant / Hypoglycemic: Study showed potent anti-lipid peroxidative and antioxidant effects in diabetic rats. Not only did it reduce glucose levels and lipid peroxides, but also enhanced antioxidants to a level similar to glibenclamide in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
• Anti-Diarrheal: Studies on Pongamia pinnata leaves: the mechanism(s) of action in infectious diarrhea - A study on the crude decoction of dried leaves selective antidiarrheal action with efficacy against cholera and enteroinvasive bacterial strains causing bloody diarrhea episode.
• Anti-Hyperammonemia: Hyperammonemia is a major contributor to the neurologic abnormalities of hepatic encepalopathy. Study showed a anti-hyperammonemic effect attributed to a nephroprotective effect by detoxifying excess urea and creatinine, free-radical scavenging and its antioxidant property.
• Anticonvulsant: Ethanolic extract showed significant anticonvulsant activity by lowering the duration of extension phase. The effect is attributed to flavonoids.
• Anti-Lice: Study showed the petroleum ether extract to possess excellent anti-lice activity. It presents a potential in using P pinnata leaves against P humanus capitis situations resistant to synthetic anti-lice agents.
• Anti-Ulcer / Gastroprotective: Phytochemical tests yielded the presence of flavonoids in the methanolic seed extract of Pongamia pinnata. It showed dose-dependent ulcer protective effects. The effect may be attributed to flavonoids with actions on the mucosal offensive and defensive factors.
• Karanjin / Gastroprotective / Antioxidant : Study evaluated the gastroprotective properties of karanjin from karanja (P. pinnata) seeds in adult male albino rats with experimentally induced ulcers. Karanjin exhibited ulcer protection and inhibition of oxidative stress. Results suggest karanjin can be an effective anti-ulcer agent, and being non-toxic, can be used in combination with other nutraceuticals in the management of oxidative stress-induced disease conditions.
• Antihyperglycemic / Anti-lipidperoxidative: Study of flower extract in alloxan-induced diabetic rats showed significant antihyperglycemic and anti-lipid-peroxidative effects with enhancement of antioxidant defense systems. Results suggest a potential for a safe alternative antihyperglycemic drug for diabetic patients.
• Flowers / Antioxidant: Ethanolic extracts and fractions of P. pinnata were tested for antioxidant activity. Total phenolic content was determined as gallic acid equivalents and total flavonoids as quercetin equivalents. Extracts exhibited significant antioxidant activity.
• Biofuel / Pongame: Pongame oil is a non-edible oil extracted from the seeds of P. pinnata. Study investigated the potential of Pongame oil as an alternative source of bioenergy (biodiesel). Seeds yielded 35% oil by weight. The fuel properties of the oil were very close to high-speed diesel. Results suggest Pongame biodiesel is a good alternative for renewable energy that could reduce dependency on imported foreign oil.
• Antioxidant: Study evaluated the antioxidant activity of a hydroalcoholic extract of P. pinnata using various assays (DPPH free radical, Nitric oxide scavenging assays, Superoxide ion scavenging assays, ABTS and iron chelating methods). Results showed a significant correlation between extract concentrations and percentage inhibition of free radicals. The activity was presumed related to phenols and flavonoids in the extracts.
• CD4-Th2 Cytokine Stimulation: Immune cells produce cytokines in response to various stimuli. The cytokine immune cells milieu have a positive outcome on the immune response generated. In a study of immune stimulation of P. pinnata on healthy human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, results showed P. pinnata extracts induced abundant IL-10 production, suggesting it to be a strong inducer of Th-2 cytokines with a potential to treat Th-1 cytokine mediated pathology.

Availability
Wild-crafted.