Pharmacological actions of Pongamia pinnata roots in albino rats

Pongamia pinnata root has been advocated in Ayurveda for treatment of various inflammatory and infective conditions including ulcers. Sequential petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, acetone and ethanolic extracts of P. pinnata roots when administered in the dose of 50 mg/kg, i.p. in rats was found to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic activity while pentobarbitone-induced 'sleep time' was reduced by all the extracts except petroleum ether which, however, enhanced it. They were also found to possess antiulcer effects when administered either by i.p. (45 min before) or oral route (45 min before or for 4 days) against restraint-stress or pylorus-ligated gastric ulcers in rats, the maximum protection being afforded by petroleum ether and ethanol extracts. The mechanism of antiulcer effect could either be due to decrease in acid-pepsin secretion and augmentation of mucin secretion as observed with ethanol extract, while petroleum ether extract might be producing the effect by virtue of its anti-stress activity.