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IIT-Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, defending his opinion, shared copies of international science journal that have reinforced the beneficial properties of cow urine citing evidence for the same.
IIT Madras director praises cow urine’s medicinal value, faces criticism. (Image: News18)
Days after he hit the headlines drawing flak over lauding medicinal benefits of cow urine (gaumutra) at a cultural event, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, defending his opinion on Monday, shared copies of international science journal that have reinforced the beneficial properties of cow urine citing evidence for the same.
Also an organic farmer, Kamakoti’s views on medicinal value of cow urine during an event that he said he had attended in his personal capacity at a gaushala (cow shelter) on Mattu Pongal (on January 15), a day that is celebrated as part of the Pongal festival highlighting the role of cattle in agriculture and harvest in the Tamil culture, drew sharp criticism from political and social groups.
Prof Kamakoti said that his “views were taken out of context”.
“The anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties of cow urine have been scientifically demonstrated. Top journals in the United States (US) have published scientific evidence. It is important to note that my comments were made in the context of advocating for organic farming and the protection of indigenous cattle breeds, which play a crucial role in agriculture and the overall economy,” he said.
He shared with the press copies of the papers published in international journals including World’s popular science journal, Nature, which he said reinforces what he or others have said on this matter.
One of the papers shared by the IIT-director published in Nature is titled ‘Peptide Profiling in Cow Urine Reveals Molecular Signature of Physiology-driven Pathways and In-Silico Predicted Bioactive Properties’.
Other papers published in journals shared by Prof Kamakoti include — ‘Use of Bio-active Fraction from Cow Urine Distillate (Go-Mutra) as a Bio Enhancer of Anti-Infective, Anti-Cancer Agents and Nutrients (published as a US patent); ‘Review of Gaumutra’ (Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research); ‘Chemotherapeutic Potential of Cow Urine’: A Review (Journal of Intercultural Ethnopharmacology); and ‘Benefits of Cow Urine: A Review’ (International Journal of Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Research).
A portion of the video of his speech (speaking in Tamil) at the event went viral where he said that cow urine could also be a remedy for an irritable bowel syndrome.
However, Prof Kamakoti linked his remarks to the broader importance of organic farming, emphasising the role of indigenous cattle in agriculture and the economy and the urgent need to switch to indigenous ways of farming.