Publikationsdatenbank

Basic Research in Homeopathy – Development of Plant Bioassays to Investigate Effects of Potentised Preparations (2018)

Art

Hochschulschrift

Autor

Majewsky, Vera (WE 19)

Quelle

Berlin: Mensch und Buch Verlag Berlin, 2018 — 80 Seiten

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/23140

Kontakt

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Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Homeopathy is used worldwide in human- as well as in veterinary medicine, though its effectivity is controversially discussed. This dissertation focuses on the interdisciplinary research field of basic research in homeopathy. It investigates the possibility of specific effects of homeopathic preparations in scientific experiments with healthy plants. A comprehensive literatur review was followed by two experimental studies. Review: The systematic review about experimental research on effects of homeopathic treatments on healthy plants aimes to give a comprehensive overview about the state of research between 1920 and April 2009, with particular focus on studies investigating specific effects of homeopathic remedies. The literature search included publications in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Portoguese, using predefined selection criteria. Studies with healthy whole plants, seeds, plant parts and cells were included. Outcome had to be measured by established procedures and assessed by a statistical evaluation. A Manuscript Information Score (MIS) was developed to include only publications providing enough information for proper interpretation (MIS = 5). A Study Methods Evaluation Procedure (SMEP) was used to evaluate the latter studies, and the subgroup of studies with adequate controls to identify specific effects. A total of 86 studies in 79 publications were identified. Only 43 studies included statistics, 29 of the 43 studies had a MIS = 5, and 16 of these 29 studies were investigating specific effects of homeopathic preparations. Specific effects of decimal, centesimal and fifty millesimal potencies were found, also in dilutions far beyond the Avogadro number. In consecutive series of potency levels only some of the tested potencies showed effects. In conclusion, studies showed heterogenous methods and outcome measures and very few studies included investigations concerning reproducibility of outcomes. Healthy plant models are regarded to be a promising approach to investigate basic research questions about the specificity of homeopathic preparations by many authors. However, there was a lack of investigations with valid methods, especially studies focusing potentisation techniques, effective potency levels and conditions for reproducibility were lacking. Experimental work: Based on the results of the review experimental studies focusing reproducibility of specific homeopathic effects were performed. The first study investigated if formerly observed effects of homeopathically potentised gibberellic acid in a bioassay with healthy duckweed (Lemna gibba L.) were reproducible. Duckweed was grown in potencies (14x–30x) of gibberellic acid (GA3) and one time succussed and unsuccussed water controls. Outcome parameter area-related growth rate was determined by a computerised image analysis system. Three series including five independent blinded and randomised potency experiments each were carried out. System stability was controlled by three series of five systematic negative control (SNC) experiments. Gibbosity (a specific growth state of L. gibba) was investigated as possibly essential factor for reactivity of L. gibba towards potentised GA3 in one series of potency and SNC experiments, respectively. Results were heterogenous: Only in the third series with gibbous L. gibba a significant effect (p=0.009. F-test) of the homeopathic treatment was observed. Additionally, growth rate increased in contrast to the former study, and effect of most biologically active potency levels differed. Variability in potency experiments was lower than in SNC experiments. The stability of the experimental system was verified by the SNC experiments. The second study investigated laboratory-internal reproducibility of formerly observed effects of homeopathically potentised Argentum nitricum using the Lemna gibba bioassay. A previous study reported a significant statistical interaction between experiment date and treatment effect of Argentum nitricum 14x–30x on the growth rate of duckweed. According to the first study duckweed was treated with Argentum nitricum potencies (14x–30x) as well as succussed and unsuccussed water controls. The outcome parameter arearelated growth rate for day 0–7 was measured by a computerised image analysis system in two experimental series, including six and three independent randomised and blinded experiments. Systematic negative control experiments were carried out to investigate system stability. Statistical analysis was performed with full two-way ANOVA and protected Fisher`s LSD test. The results of the former study could not be reproduced: In the first experimental series a significant treatment effect (p=0.016) was observed, while in the second series no effect was found. The stability of the experimental system was verified by systematic negative control experiments. An a posteriori subgroup analysis concerning gibbosity revealed the importance of this growth state of Lemna gibba for successful reproduction of the statistically significant interaction in the original study; flat: (p=0.762); slight gibbosity: (p=0.256); medium gibbosity: p=0.031, high gibbosity: p=0.005. Both studies showed that gibbosity could be one parameter influencing reproducibility of the homeopathic studies with Lemna gibba L.. With the original study design (disregarding gibbosity status of L.gibba) results of the original studies could not be reproduced. Different physiological states of the test organisms used for bioassays for homeopathic basic research must carefully be considered.