Hepatologist Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as “The Liver Doc” online, said on Tuesday, asked Springer Nature to investigate a July 2025 study by researchers from IIT-BHU and BITS Pilani that analyzed cow urine from eight indigenous breeds. In a series of posts on X, Philips said it had asked Springer Nature to investigate the July 2025 paper published in Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. The study, conducted by researchers from IIT-BHU and BITS Pilani, analyzed urine samples from eight breeds of cows and reported the presence of compounds that could have applications in health, engineering and technology.According to Philips, the project has received Rs 31.04 lakh under the Scientific Utilization Center for Research Augmentation-Primary Products from Indigenous Cattle (SUTRA-PIC) program.Calling the paper a “third-rate publication,” Philips claimed the researchers had mistakenly identified common laboratory contaminants as natural compounds found in cow urine. He stated that the study reported the presence of synthetic chemicals, including a prohibited pesticide, prescription drugs and toxic substances, which he said should not be natural in the samples.“Researchers are mistaking common laboratory contaminants, such as plastic chemicals and solvents, for natural compounds in cow urine,” he wrote. In addition, he stated that the authors had made health-related claims about several compounds despite those substances not appearing in their data.Philips also pointed to contradictions between the paper’s text and data tables, poor referencing, lack of statistical analysis and concerns about the graphics used in the study. According to him, some figures looked suspiciously similar and deserved a closer examination. He said he had formally written to Springer Nature’s ethics team and the journal’s editors seeking an investigation into the scientific integrity of the paper.He said the Research Integrity team at Springer Nature had taken notice and would soon begin an investigation.In a previous post, he wrote: “I spent most of my non-clinical hours looking at studies published by the Modi government publicly funded research on cow-based products that are published in pre-clinical journals. I am really disappointed to note that most of these publications have been poorly peer-reviewed. I don’t know how they got through such reputable newspapers.”Philips is no stranger to controversy. Recently, the Ayush ministry issued a memorandum seeking action against him over social media posts in which he described Ayurveda as pseudoscience. The ministry said it had received complaints that his remarks were derogatory and defamatory towards Ayush systems of medicine.Responding to the move, Philips said it was intended to discuss scientific issues. Referring to the memorandum, he wrote that government officials were trying to close his social media presence. Citing Article 51A (h) of the Constitution, he argued that citizens have a duty to develop a scientific temperament and the spirit of inquiry.
