Benefits of Cow Dung - A Human Ignored Gift

Abstract

Cow is considered as mother and even as god. It is one of the largest domesticated mammals. The meaning of the word <em>panchagavya</em> in Sanskrit is "five cow-derivatives" consisting of three direct constituents like cow urine, dung, milk and the two derived products are curd and ghee. Cow dung and urine are the excretory products. Cow dung is an undigested residue of consumed food material of cow combined with faeces and urine, lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses being the major composition. Cow dung is an indigestible plant material from the intestine of cow released on to the ground. Generally, faeces, either from an animal or human is not a desired topic of conversation. Cow dung is worth discussing. It's a useful material and helps us in a variety of ways. Cow urine has been used as an antimicrobial not only for rituals but also therapeutically. But cow dung has been mostly used as a firework and/or biofertilizer in the form of cow patties. Researchers have ignored the therapeutical benefits of cow dung which is evident from the smaller number of pharmaceutical products in market amidst of its miraculous benefits. This review discusses about the existing traditional therapeutics and the respective medicinal property of cow dung and tries to change the mindset of the scientific community to carry out the further research in the future.

Comparative adsorptive behaviour of cow dung ash and starch as potential eco-friendly matrices for controlled organophosphorus pesticides delivery

“…80% water and undigested residues of fodder, faeces, urine, lignin, cellulose, hemicelluloses, amino acid residues from crude proteins, soil residues, an assortment of minerals, such as K, S, Fe, Mg, Ca, Co, Mn, etc. 32 , 33 . The relative proportion of these species in CDA would conceivably depend on the habitat in which the cattle is reared and how CDA was obtained from cow dung.…”

A Decrease in the Hardness of Feces with Added Glucosylceramide Extracted from Koji In Vitro—A Working Hypothesis of Health Benefits of Dietary Glucosylceramide

“…These differences reflect the unique adaptations of each species to specific dietary and digestive requirements. Cow feces primarily consist of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose [ 61 , 62 ]. Therefore, cow feces can be used as a fuel source [ 62 ].…”

Indigenous Knowledge of Peanut Cultivation of the Ethnic Khmer Resident in the Mountainous Area in An Giang Province, Vietnam

“…"If the rice is cultivated in the next crop, it grows very well and gives a relatively higher yield than the field that uses completely chemical fertilizers". Cow manure contains 24 minerals, such as nitrogen and potassium, and additional trace amounts of sulfur, iron, magnesium, copper, cobalt, and manganese [16], [17]. Cow manure contributes to an increase in the organic matter content of the soil, leading to improved water retention in the sandy soil, helps resistance to drought, and increases cation exchange capacity that mobilizes nutrients to provide plants [18].…”