Protective Effect of Cow Urine Distillate in Streptozotocin Induced Type I Diabetes in Rats

Abstract

The sacred Indian cow, Bos indicus known as “Kamadhenu” in Indian scripts, is believed to be a “mobile hospital” for the treatment of many diseases. Although Indian Ayurvedic literature cites many medicinal properties of cow urine, there is no scientific evidence to support this. Hence, this study was undertaken to validate antidiabetic property of cow urine. The effect of cow urine distillate was studied in vivo in induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by administration of single injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg b.wt.) intraperitoneally. The antidiabetic effect of cow urine distillate in two different doses (5.0 ml and 10.0 ml/kg b.wt.) was studied in these adult diabetic rats. The cow urine distillate was administered orally to the experimental rats from 8th day and continued for 42 days thereafter. The assessment included fasting blood glucose levels, serum lipid profiles and body weight changes. The cow urine distillate produced a significant (P<0.01) reduction in the elevated blood glucose, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides and serum creatinine levels when compared with the diabetic control. The diabetic animals treated with cow urine distillate also showed a significant gain in body weight. The presence of antioxidants and free radical scavengers in cow urine might be responsible for the observed anti-diabetic effects. The study concluded that cow urine distillate has a protective effect in diabetic rats.