CISR research on cow urine gets fillip

Research on medicinal properties of cow urine has got a fillip with the Centre encouraging such studies in this area under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The CSIR, the country's premier research institute, is collaborating with Nagpur-based Go Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra (GVAK) for research on cow urine to distillate for its antioxidant and bio-enhancing properties on anti- infective and anti-cancer agents and nutrients. Minister of State for AYUSH Sripad Naik said CSIR through its constituent laboratories has conducted research studies in collaboration with GVAK already.

Four US Patents have been secured since 2002 and one pharmaceutical product containing cow urine distillate with anti-oxidant property is available in the market, he said in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Friday. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences has conducted a national seminar on 'Panchagavya Chikitsa' in 2014 for promotion and awareness building and brought out a compilation document of published research papers on Panchagvya and its ingredients. The published research papers on Panchagavya have been uploaded in the ‘AYUSH Research Portal’ for ready access to the public.

Panchagavya is a classic collective name of five products obtained from cow -- milk, curd, ghee, urine and dung. Cow urine is ingredient of several ayurvedic formulations and also used as adjuvant with medicinal formulations and for pharmaceutical processing called Shodhana (purification) and Bhavana (triturition) of medicinal materials.  Panchagavya and its ingredients are also part of the course curricula of ayurvedic studies at degree and post-graduation levels. Opportunities of postgraduate and postdoctoral research as well as extramural research on Panchagavya are available to the interested scholars and scientists.