Therapeutic Potential of Panchagavya: A Review

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[Find the meaning and references behind the names: Patil, Ayu, Med, Shweta, Rajendra]

165 Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine 2023; 9(4): 165-168 Review Article ISSN: 2454-5023 J. Ayu. Herb. Med. 2023; 9(4): 165-168 Received: 17-10-2023 Accepted: 15-12-2023 © 2023, All rights reserved www.ayurvedjournal.com DOI: 10.31254/jahm.2023.9404 *Corresponding author: Dr. Shweta Patil Associate Professor, Department of Panchakarma, Dr. Rajendra Gode Ayurved College, Amravati, Maharashtra, India Email: vdpatilshweta@gmail.com Therapeutic Potential of Panchagavya : A Review Shweta Patil 1 1 Associate Professor, Department of Panchakarma, Dr. Rajendra Gode Ayurved College, Amravati, Maharashtra, India ABSTRACT Background: Panchgavya refers to milk, ghee, curd, urine, and dung, derived from cows. In India, Panchgavya treatment is termed as ‘Cowpathy’. Besides nutritional value, each product in Panchagavya has irreplaceable medicinal importance in Ayurveda and traditional Indian clinical practices. In Panchagavya therapy or Cowpathy, these five products are used singly or in combination with some other drugs of herbal, animal, or mineral origin for the treatment of several disorders and diseases. Aim: The present review aims to find out the therapeutic potential of Panchagavya from various research findings. Methodology: we compiled Several experimental and clinical studies carried out on the medicinal potential of each product of Panchagavya . Result: Panchagavya in combination or each product independently Proved their Antiepileptic, Anticancer, Immunomodulatory, nootropic, Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Anxiolytic effects. Conclusion: Cow products can be used as adjuvants in treating various disorders, it adds a vision for newer drug development approaches and discover the various possibilities to eradicate diseases. Keywords: Panchagavya , Cowpathy, Go-ghrita , Medicinal importance, Gomutra . INTRODUCTION India is the land of traditions where we worship the Cow as a divine soul. In India, Cow is called ‘ Goumata’ and ‘ Kamdhenu’ as it is believed that she helps in accomplishing desired things.’ Panch’ means Five and ‘Gavya’ means ‘Gau’ or cow. So, Panchagavya represents the five things i, e milk, ghee, curd, urine, and dung, derived from the cow. People in ancient India used these cow products as folk medicine. Besides nutritional value, Ayurveda has recognized the medicinal potential of Panchagavya in clinical practice. Each cow product is used as a single therapy or in combination with other herbal or mineral drugs to treat various diseases so, the new therapy arises as ‘ Panchagavya therapy’ is also called ‘cowpathy’. Panchgavya therapy is used to treat a variety of disorders like Arthritis, obesity, asthma, flu, allergies, skin disorders, wound healing, cardiovascular diseases, hepatic disorders, renal disorders, gastrointestinal tract disorders, tuberculosis, ulcer, leukoderma, leucorrhoea, chemical intoxication, other bacterial, fungal and viral infections. The therapy has also demonstrated its therapeutic potential against severe pathological conditions like cancer, AIDS, and diabetes [1]. Ancient literature of Ayurveda cites numerous medicinal importance of Panchagavya t herapy; however, very less experimental and clinical studies were carried out for its scientific validation in the context of its efficacy, toxicity, and acceptability. So, the present review aims to compile scientific evidence to prove the medicinal potential of Panchagavya. METHODOLOGY The review of the literature was carried out in two phases, Ayurvedic and contemporary review, The classical textual reference of Ayurveda was explored to find the information related to Panchagavya. The contemporary literature review was done using PubMed, Google Scholar, and hand search. All the articles available on the topic from 2000-2022 are referred for this study. Hand search refers to searching the articles from crossreference of the articles selected for review. Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria: Only the articles published in the English language are included in the study. Furthermore, Original research including clinical studies, observational studies, experimental studies, review articles, and book chapters are also referred to for the purpose of review. Single case reports and articles in other languages are excluded from the study.

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[Find the meaning and references behind the names: Long, Colon, Kamala, Good]

166 OBSERVATION & RESULTS Cow Milk : Cow milk is used globally as nutritive and for its medicinal value in all age groups. According to Ayurveda, Ksheer is considered as ‘ Aajanma satmya’ [2] as every human being requires milk for their life after birth. Cow milk can be used in neonates as a substitute for breast milk. numerous health benefits of cow’s milk are mentioned in Ayurveda. Cow milk is used as Rasayana for prevention, health promotion, and therapeutic purposes [3]. Milk is used as Anupana with medicine for its better absorption and drug interaction to be performed [4]. Cow milk is used for the chemical detoxification of metallic preparations and poisonous plants to enhance its therapeutic action [5]. According to Aacharya Vagbhata, cow milk increases life expectancy, nourishes the body tissues, boosts immunity, improves intelligence, relieves tiredness, Assists in peristalsis movement of the intestine, useful in severe debility and bleeding disorders. It increases breast milk in feeding mothers [6]. Cow milk contains 4.6% lactose, 4.65% fat, 0.54% minerals, 3.4% proteins, and 86% water. Cow milk proteins contain 27% b-casein, 9% casein, 36% a-casein, and 27% peptides. Milk also contains essential fatty acids and is a rich source of calcium and phosphorous. Phospholipids including cephalin, lecithin, and sphingomyelin, and vitamins including A, B 2, B 3, and K are also found in milk [7]. As a rich source of calcium and Phosphorous cow milk is essential for the growth of teeth and bones. it helps to improve bone density in osteoporosis [8]. As cow milk contains vitamin A, it is used to improve vision, and vitamin K in milk helps to regulate bleeding disorders. Cow milk restricts the growth of harmful gut bacteria and promotes beneficial gut flora. Milk enzymes exert anti-diarrhoeal activity [9]. Regular consumption of milk is recommended for patients suffering from Ascites, gall bladder diseases, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. [10]. Cis-isomer of linoleic acid present in milk has demonstrated antineoplastic activity. Milk has anti-cancer activity against skin, colon, and breast cancer [11]. The antioxidant property of milk is due to the sulfur amino acid present in milk [12]. Cow Ghee: Cow ghee is also known as clarified butter. In India, there is a culprit in the use of Ghrita as a long-term dietary supplement because saturated fat in ghrita increases the risk of cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, stroke, and dyslipidemia [13]. on the contrary, studies conducted to evaluate the effect of Ghrita on serum lipid levels showed that regular 10% consumption of Ghrita in the diet altered blood lipid profiles and then did not elevate the risk factors for CVDs [14]. Ayurveda recommended the use of ghrita due to its enormous benefits. According to Acharya Charaka, Ghrita alleviates pitta and vata dosha and improves voice, complexion, digestive capacity, and reproductive capacity. It enhances memory and intellectual capacity [15]. Ghrita is also described to alleviate poisons, epilepsies, insanity, phthisis, fevers, syncope, and chronic pains occurring in the genital tracts, ears, and head [16]. It acts as Rasayana (immunomodulator) and provides lubrication in connective tissues of the body. Aacharya Vagabhatta has additionally described Ghrita to be beneficial for patients suffering from tumors, sinuses, ulcers, and worm diseases [17]. Ghrita shows the most unique effect of enhancing the properties of other herbs or substances by retaining their own qualities. Ayurveda also supports the co-administration of ghee along with other remedial treatments. Ghee -based formulations are developed for targeted delivery and enhanced bioavailability of hydrophobic elements [18] Ghee is a rich source of essential fatty acids (omega 3 and omega 9), and vitamins like A, D, E, and K [19]. Ghee has demonstrated various medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant, anti-asthmatic, anticholinergic activity, and antineoplastic. Ghrita formulations also help to treat vision enhancement, wound healing, gastrointestinal disorders, and paralysis, etc [20]. Curd: It is also called ‘ Dadhi’ or ‘yogurt’. Curd is consumed worldwide due to its nutritional value and health benefits. however, Ayurveda recommends the consumption of curd according to the environment, climatic conditions, and health of individuals. Curd is prepared by fermenting cow milk using microorganisms like Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus[21]. Curd contains several nutrients and micronutrients, including water, proteins, vitamins like A, B, D, and E; minerals like calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, etc [21]. Probiotics present in curd helps to treat digestive ailments as they can resist the growth of harmful microorganisms and promote good gut flora [22]. It helps in strengthening immunity to fight against pathogens including HIV [21]. Curd also acts as a blood purifier [20]. Its antifungal activity is used to treat Dandruff from hair [21]. Daily dietary recommendation of curd prevents the risk of obesity by lowering the total cholesterol, and lowdensity lipoproteins [23]. Cow Urine: Cow urine or ‘ Gaumutra’ is a waste discharged from the cow. In Ayurveda, cow urine or its distillate shows numerous therapeutic effects. Cow urine relieves Kaphaja and Vataja disorders, those caused by meda (excessive adiposity), visha (poisoning), krimi (worms), gulma (gaseous swelling of the abdomen), skin diseases including leprosy , Kamala (Jaundice), shopha (swelling), Agnimandya (loss of appetite), [24] etc. Gomutra is used for giving Vasti/ basti (therapeutic enema) . Gomutra is also used in the Rasashastra for purifying the Dhatu, Upadhatu, Visha , and other herbomineral compounds [25] Cow urine contains 95% water, 2.5% of urea, and the rest 2.5% includes components like enzymes, hormones, salts, and minerals [26]. Various enzymes in cow urine stimulate hunger, improve digestion, and also act as an immunomodulator [27]. Clinical evaluation supported cow urine as oral supplementation relieves pain, eases defecation, and prevents itching, and bleeding of hemorrhoids [28]. Cow urine (2 ml, oral) and its distillate (2 ml, oral) proved its analgesic effect in rats of both sexes (150 e 200 g) using the rat tail immersion test and Diclofenac Sodium (50 mg/kg, oral) as a reference standard [29]. Cow urine shows a significant effect on wound-healing activity in Wistar albino rats [30]. Anti-microbial activity of cow urine and cow urine distillate was tested against pathogens like Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [31] Anticancer effect of cows’ urine due to the free radical scavenging activity of the urine components [32] Cow Dung: Cow dung demonstrated Antibacterial activity, it can kill malarial parasites and Mycobacterium tuberculosis [33]. The antifungal activity can be observed against Coprophilous fungi [34]. It serves as a skin tonic and is found effective in treating psoriasis and eczema. The mixtures of crushed neem leaves and cow dung help against boils and heat rashes [33, 34]. Smoke liberated from the

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[Find the meaning and references behind the names: Masud, Sri, Khan, Sharma, Singh, Low, Kumar, Main, Precious, Chauhan, Niaz]

167 Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine|October-December|2023 burning of cow dung causes eye irritation and tears, which can help with vision enhancement [35]. Panchagavya Ghrita : According to Ayurvedic classical reference all products in Panchagavya are recommended to be used in combination in the form of Ghrita. Depending upon their varying proportion the different formulations are mentioned in the classics as Mahapangavya Ghrita, Swalpa-panchagavya Ghrita and Panchagavya ghrita. The therapeutic potential of Panchagavya Ghrita is assessed through Several clinical and experimental studies. The researchers have created evidence regarding the positive effect of formulation mainly on CNS Experimental studies showed hepatoprotective, antiepileptic, antidepressant, antiamnesia, and nootropic activities as well clinical evidence has drawn a conclusion that it has a beneficial effect on cognition [memory], computer vision syndrome, Infertility, Cancer, Psoriatic Arthritis etc The therapeutic profile of formulation is seen as a cumulative effect of the synergism of five products [36]. Table 1: Cow derived Products and Therapeutic Action Cow derived Products Therapeutic Action Cow Milk Psychoneurological disorders, GI disorders, Blooding disorders, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Immunomodulator, osteoporosis Cow Ghee Unmad (Schizophrenia), Apasmar (Epilepsy), Jirna, Jwar (Fever), Murcha (Gidiness) anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, vision enhancing, wound healing, immunostimulants, anticholinergic Curd Fever, Raktaj vyadhis (blood disorders), Mutrakruchhata (Urinary Incontinence), GI disorders, Immunomodulator, Anticancer, blood purifier, antifungal Cow Urine Skin Disorders, Jaundice, Immunomodulator, Antihaemorrhoids Anticancer, Analgesic, Anti-microbial, wound healing., Cow Dung Anti-microbial, antifungal, skin & eye disorders Panchagavya Ghrita Antidepressant, antiepileptic, Anxiolytic, hepatoprotective, memory enhancer, Cancer, Infertility, Computer vision syndrome CONCLUSION Panchagavya has demonstrated its potential to serve humankind. It proves as the best therapy that can be applied in clinical practices as the main therapy or the adjuvant to treat many diseases. It adds the new approach to develop the formulations based on Panchagavya therapy to enhance its therapeutic effect and discovers the various possibilities to eradicate diseases. Conflict of interest There is no conflict of interest. ORCID ID Shweta Patil: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5560-6507 REFERENCES 1 Bajaj KK, Chavhan V, Raut NA, Gurav S. Panchgavya: A precious gift to humankind. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 2022 Apr 1;13(2):100525. 2 Acharya JT. Susruta Samhita of Susruta with Nibandha Sangraha Commentary of Sri Dalhanacharya and Nyayachandrika Panjika of Sri Gayadasacharya. Reprint. 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