Protective effect of distillate and redistillate of cow's urine in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes challenged with established genotoxic chemicals.
OBJECTIVE
From the ancient period cow's urine has been used as a medicine. In Veda, cow's urine was compared to the nectar. In Susrut, several medicinal properties of cow's urine have been mentioned and are known to cause weight loss, reversal of certain cardiac and kidney problems, indigestion, stomach ache, edema, etc. However, the literature and scripture did not mention the antigenotoxic properties of cow's urine.


METHODS
In the present investigation, the antigenotoxic/antioxidant properties of cow's urine distillate and redistillate were studied in vitro. The antioxidant status and volatile fatty acid levels were determined. Actinomycin-D (0.1 micromol/L) and hydrogen peroxide (150 micromol/L) were used for inducing DNA strand break with 0.1% DMSO as negative control. Dose for the antigenotoxic effect of cow's urine was chosen from the dose response study carried out earlier.


RESULTS
Both actinomycin-D and H202 caused statistically significant DNA unwinding of 80% & 75% respectively (P < 0.001) as revealed by fluorimetric analysis of DNA unwinding (FADU), and the damage could be protected with the redistilled cow's urine distillate (1, 50 & 100 microL) in simultaneous treatment with genotoxic chemicals.


CONCLUSIONS
The redistillate of cow's urine was found to possess total antioxidant status of around 2.6 mmol, contributed mainly by volatile fatty acids (1500 mg/L) as revealed by the GC-MS studies. These fatty acids and other antioxidants might cause the observed protective effects.
Krishnamurthi
K
K
Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440 020, INDIA.
Dutta
Dipanwita
D
Sivanesan
S D
SD
Chakrabarti
T
T
D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004249:DNA Damage; D003609:Dactinomycin; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005470:Fluorometry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D009153:Mutagens; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects*; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry
D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009153:Mutagens; D003609:Dactinomycin; D000641:Ammonia; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide