ABSTRACT
Active ingredients are unlikely to be present in homeopathic dilutions that surpass the Avogadro limit. Yet responses of biological systems to these substances-chemically equivalent to water and indistinguishable from one another-are specific to the materials that are diluted away. This article addresses this challenging problem of homeopathy by identifying its underlying cause through a quantum electrodynamics-based "structural model" stated as: Succussed serial dilutions in water carry information about the solute via solute-specific water structures. The model is verifiable by our three-stranded set of experiments-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, anomalous dielectric dispersion, and atomic force microscopy. The results, some of which are presented here, directly or indirectly indicate that even extremely diluted solutions, devoid of any gross presence of the solutes, contain solute-reminiscent water structures. Apart from contributing to understanding high-dilution phenomena, these findings are expected to create an impact in the areas of medicine, pharmacopeia, and biology. Succussed aqueous dilutions acquire altered water structures with change of starting material: thus, their altered properties may be ascribed to these water structures, akin to allotropes of carbon. This theory justifies water structures as potential information carrier through succussed serial dilutions.
Subject(s)
Homeopathy , Indicator Dilution Techniques , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Quantum Theory , Solutions , WaterABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) proton relaxation is sensitive to the dynamics of the water molecule, H2O, through the interaction of the spin of the proton (1H) with external magnetic and electromagnetic fields. NMR relaxation times describe how quickly the spin of 1H, forced in a direction by an external electromagnetic field, returns to a normal resting position. As a result, such measurements allow us potentially to describe higher structuring of water in homeopathic medicines. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to verify whether specific NMR relaxation times could be measured in full lines of cH dynamizations of a metal (copper) and of a plant substance (Gelsemium sempervirens), compared with a solvent control, a potentized lactose control and a control prepared by simple dilution, in three production lines. It is aimed at verification of a previous publication (2017) on two new manufacturing lines of the same starting material and controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To monitor dilution and potentization processes, measurements of 1H spin-lattice T1 and spin-spin T2 relaxation times were used. T1 and T2 relaxation times were measured at 25°C with a spin analyser working at a frequency of 20 MHz. To account for its possible role as a confounding factor, free oxygen was also measured in all samples, using a MicroOptode meter. RESULTS: When the values of the three production lines were pooled, a statistically significant discrimination of NMR relaxation times between the medicines and their controls was confirmed. We found for copper cH and Gelsemium sempervirens cH a highly significant influence of the starting material (p = 0.008), a highly significant influence of level of dilution (p < 0.001), and a significant influence of the O2 concentration (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: We have evidence of an obvious retention of a specific magnetic resonance signal when a substance (lactose, copper, Gelsemium) is diluted/potentized in pure water. This means that homeopathic solutions cannot be considered to be pure water. O2 is a covariant and not an explanatory variable: this factor itself is too weak to explain the NMR signal specificities in potentized samples. Homeopathic dilutions may thus have a specific material configuration governed not only by the potentized substance but also by the chemical nature of the containers, the chemical nature of dissolved gases and even by the electromagnetic environment. This sensitivity of homeopathically prepared medicines to electromagnetic fields may be amplified by the processes routinely applied during their preparation; because it occurs only when a dynamization has been performed, we may call this phenomenon "dynamic pharmacy".
Subject(s)
Copper/physiology , Gelsemium/physiology , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Humans , Materia Medica , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: NMR proton relaxation is sensitive to the dynamics of the water molecule H2O, through the interaction of the spin of the proton (1H) with external magnetic and electromagnetic fields. METHODS: We measured dilution and potentization processes through measurements of 1H spin-lattice T1 and spin-spin T2 relaxation times. In order to interpret the recorded fluctuations in T1- or T2-values, experimental data were linearized by investigating how the area under a fluctuating time = f(dilution) curve (dilution integral or DI) changes with dilution. Two kinds of fitting procedures were considered: chi-square fitting with a goodness-of-fit probability, and least absolute deviations criterion with Pearson's linear correlation coefficient. RESULTS: We showed that fluctuations are not attributable to random noise and/or experimental errors, evidencing a memory effect quantifiable by the slope of the DI = f(dilution) straight line. For all experiments, correlation coefficients were found to lie above 0.9999, against 0.999 for random noise. The discrimination between experimental slopes and slopes associated with random noise data was very good at a five-sigma level of confidence (i.e. probability 3 × 10-7). Discrimination between experimental slopes at a five-sigma level was possible in most cases, with three exceptions: gelsemium aqua pura v gelsemium dilution (four-sigma); copper aqua pura v gelsemium aqua pura (four-sigma) and copper simple dilution v gelsemium simple dilution (three-sigma). All potentized samples show very good discrimination (at least nine-sigma level) against aqua pura, lactose or simple dilution. It was possible to transform the associated relaxation times into a molecular rotational correlation time τc and an average spin-spin distance d. Our experiments thus point to a considerable slowing down of molecular movements (τc > 1300 ps or T = 224-225 K) around water molecules up to a distance of 3.7 Å, values. It was also possible to rule out other possible mechanisms of relaxation (diffusive motion, 17O-1H relaxation or coupling with the electronic spin, S = 1, of dissolved dioxygen molecules). CONCLUSION: There is clear evidence that homeopathic solutions cannot be considered as pure water as commonly assumed. Instead, we have evidenced a clear memory effect upon dilution/potentization of a substance (water, lactose, copper, gelsemium) reflected by different rotational correlation times and average Hâ¯H distances. A possible explanation for such a memory effect may lie in the formation of mesoscopic water structures around nanoparticles and/or nanobubbles mediated by zero-point fluctuations of the vacuum electromagnetic field as suggested by quantum field theories. The existence of an Avogadro's 'wall' for homeopathically-prepared medicines is not supported by our data. Rather it appears that all dilutions have a specific material configuration determined by the potentized substance, also by the chemical nature of the containers, and dissolved gases and the electromagnetic environment. This sensitivity of homeopathically-prepared medicines to electromagnetic fields may be amplified by the highly non-linear processing routinely applied in the preparation of homeopathic medicines. Future work is needed in such directions. The time is now ripe for a demystification of the preparation of homeopathic remedies.
Subject(s)
Copper/analysis , Gelsemium/cytology , Copper/chemistry , Homeopathy/methods , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Plant Extracts , Water/analysis , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
The processing of medicinal materials, known as Pao Zhi in traditional Chinese medicine, is a unique part of traditional Chinese medicine and has been widely used for the preparation of Chinese materia medica. It is believed that processing can alter the properties and functions of remedies, increase medical potency, and reduce toxicity and side effects. Both processed and unprocessed Flos Lonicerae (flowers of Lonicera japonica) are important drug ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. To gain insights on the effect of processing factors (heating temperature and duration) on the change of chemical composition, nuclear magnetic resonance combined with chemometric analysis was applied to investigate the processing of F. Lonicerae. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data were analyzed by means of a heat map and principal components analysis. The results indicated that the composition changed significantly, particularly when processing at the higher temperature (210â°C). Five chemical components, viz. 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, and myo-inositol, whose concentration changed significantly during the processing, were isolated and identified. The patterns for the concentration change observed from nuclear magnetic resonance analysis during the processing were confirmed and quantitatively determined by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The study demonstrated that a nuclear magnetic resonance-based chemometric approach could be a promising tool for investigation of the processing of herbal medicines in traditional Chinese medicine.
Subject(s)
Flowers/chemistry , Lonicera/chemistry , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Materia Medica/chemistry , Chlorogenic Acid/analogs & derivatives , Chlorogenic Acid/chemistry , Chlorogenic Acid/isolation & purification , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Plants, Medicinal , Quinic Acid/analogs & derivatives , Quinic Acid/chemistry , Quinic Acid/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
The bark of Daphne mezereum L. is known as toxic drug due to the presence of diterpene esters. The phytochemical analysis of the bark used for preparation of homeopathic mother tinctures showed that gniditrin was the main diterpene constituent, only in the fruits of D. mezereum mezerein could be detected. The complete NMR data of gniditrin are published for the first time.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/analysis , Daphne/chemistry , Diterpenes/analysis , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Diterpenes/isolation & purification , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Mass Spectrometry , Materia Medica , Plant Bark/chemistry , Plant Extracts/analysis , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray IonizationABSTRACT
Advances with para-hydrogen induced polarization open up new fields of applications for portable low-field NMR. Here we report the possibility of tracing drugs down to the micromolar regime. We could selectively polarize nicotine quantities similar to those found in one cigarette. Also less than 1 mg of harmine, a drug used for treatment of Parkinson's disease, and morphine extracted from an opium solution were detectable after polarization with para-hydrogen in single-scan (1)H-experiments. Moreover, we demonstrate the possibility to selectively enhance and detect the (1)H-signal of drug molecules with PHIP in proton rich standard solutions that would otherwise mask the (1)H NMR signal of the drug.
Subject(s)
Drug Residues/analysis , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Harmine/analysis , Hydrogen/chemistry , Morphine/analysis , Nicotine/analysis , Opium/chemistry , Nicotiana/chemistryABSTRACT
Quantitative meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials investigating the specific therapeutic efficacy of homeopathic remedies yielded statistically significant differences compared to placebo. Since the remedies used contained mostly only very low concentrations of pharmacologically active compounds, these effects cannot be accounted for within the framework of current pharmacology. Theories to explain clinical effects of homeopathic remedies are partially based upon changes in diluent structure. To investigate the latter, we measured for the first time high-field (600/500 MHz) 1HT(1) and T(2) nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times of H2O in homeopathic preparations with concurrent contamination control by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Homeopathic preparations of quartz (10c-30c, n = 21, corresponding to iterative dilutions of 100(-10)-100(-30)), sulfur (13x-30x, n = 18, 10(-13)-10(-30)), and copper sulfate (11c-30c, n = 20, 100(-11)-100(-30)) were compared to n = 10 independent controls each (analogously agitated dilution medium) in randomized and blinded experiments. In none of the samples, the concentration of any element analyzed by ICP-MS exceeded 10 ppb. In the first measurement series (600 MHz), there was a significant increase in T(1) for all samples as a function of time, and there were no significant differences between homeopathic potencies and controls. In the second measurement series (500 MHz) 1 year after preparation, we observed statistically significant increased T(1) relaxation times for homeopathic sulfur preparations compared to controls. Fifteen out of 18 correlations between sample triplicates were higher for controls than for homeopathic preparations. No conclusive explanation for these phenomena can be given at present. Possible hypotheses involve differential leaching from the measurement vessel walls or a change in water molecule dynamics, i.e., in rotational correlation time and/or diffusion. Homeopathic preparations thus may exhibit specific physicochemical properties that need to be determined in detail in future investigations.
Subject(s)
Copper Sulfate/analysis , Materia Medica/analysis , Quartz/analysis , Sulfur/analysis , Drug Stability , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Mass Spectrometry , Sensitivity and Specificity , Water/analysisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Trituration of base substances, commonly to the 3cH level, is the cornerstone of the homeopathic pharmaceutical process or insoluble solutions. Becker and Ehrler claim that trituration to 4cH gives a new, spiritual dimension to the homoeopathic medicine picture. AIM AND METHOD: This study sought to establish whether the claim that C4-derived potencies possess different physicochemical qualities to the homoeopathic medicines derived from a 3cH trituration is valid. All potencies were produced by hand according to the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia (GHP). Five different samples were analysed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy. RESULTS: The results indicated a significant difference between the 12cH samples of potassium dichromate (Kalium bichromicum) produced from 3cH and 4cH triturations. This was especially prominent in the chemical shift values of all four peaks and the relative integration levels of the H(2)O, OH and CH(3) peaks when comparing two sample groups. CONCLUSION: Trituration plays a part in the development of physicochemical properties specific to homoeopathic medicines. The higher the level of trituration, the more pronounced is the alteration of the physical structure of the active ingredient. The study concludes that 4cH potencies are physicochemically distinct from 3cH-derived potencies (as currently employed).
Subject(s)
Caustics/pharmacology , Indicator Dilution Techniques , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Materia Medica , Potassium Dichromate/pharmacology , HumansABSTRACT
From Senecio bicolor, ssp. cineraria, cultivated in middle Europe, seven pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) were isolated and their structures elucidated by spectroscopical methods. Besides the already known senecionine, integerrimine, seneciphylline, jacobine, jacoline and jaconine the jacobine-acetate was found. On account of structure toxicity relationship all PA show toxic side-effects.
Subject(s)
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids/analysis , Senecio/chemistry , Europe , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Homeopathy , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids/toxicity , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
This study consists of the synthesis, separation, and stereochemical analysis of oximino ethers, followed by a preliminary pharmacological evaluation for neuromuscular blockade. Synthesis of the compounds began with the double oximation of progesterone, which yielded EE and ZE dioximes as major products. Both stereoisomers were separated and purified by chromatography followed by crystallization. The diether of each dioxime was prepared by O-alkylation with 2-dimethylaminoethyl chloride hydrochloride, using a mixture of potassium tert-butoxide and sodium hydride as base. The diethers were separated from the monoethers by vacuum chromatography. Configurational assignments of all compounds were based on 1HNMR and 13CNMR spectroscopy. Quaternization with methyl bromide yielded the salts which were purified via fractional crystallization. A preliminary pharmacological evaluation was conducted by using mice on a treadmill apparatus. Structure-activity relationships are discussed on the basis of similarities to succinylcholine.
Subject(s)
Neuromuscular Blocking Agents/chemical synthesis , Progesterone/analogs & derivatives , Alkylation , Animals , Crystallization , Female , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Male , Mice , Neostigmine/pharmacology , Neuromuscular Blocking Agents/chemistry , Neuromuscular Blocking Agents/pharmacology , Pancuronium/pharmacology , Stereoisomerism , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The efficacy of homeopathy is controversial. Homeopathic remedies are made via iterated shaking and dilution, in ethanol or in water, from a starting substance. Remedies of potency 12 C or higher are ultra-dilute (UD), i.e. contain zero molecules of the starting material. Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain how a UD remedy might be different from unprepared solvent. One such hypothesis posits that a remedy contains stable clusters, i.e. localized regions where one or more hydrogen bonds remain fixed on a long time scale. High sensitivity proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has not previously been used to look for evidence of differences between UD remedies and controls. METHODS: Homeopathic remedies made in water were studied via high sensitivity proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A total of 57 remedy samples representing six starting materials and spanning a variety of potencies from 6 C to 10 M were tested along with 46 controls. RESULTS: By presaturating on the water peak, signals could be reliably detected that represented H-containing species at concentrations as low as 5 microM. There were 35 positions where a discrete signal was seen in one or more of the 103 spectra, which should theoretically have been absent from the spectrum of pure water. Of these 35, fifteen were identified as machine-generated artifacts, eight were identified as trace levels of organic contaminants, and twelve were unexplained. Of the unexplained signals, six were seen in just one spectrum each. None of the artifacts or unexplained signals occurred more frequently in remedies than in controls, using a p < .05 cutoff. Some commercially prepared samples were found to contain traces of one or more of these small organic molecules: ethanol, acetate, formate, methanol, and acetone. CONCLUSION: No discrete signals suggesting a difference between remedies and controls were seen, via high sensitivity 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The results failed to support a hypothesis that remedies made in water contain long-lived non-dynamic alterations of the H-bonding pattern of the solvent.
Subject(s)
Complex Mixtures/analysis , Homeopathy/methods , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Naturopathy , Animals , Complex Mixtures/chemistry , Drug Contamination , Lycopodium , Naturopathy/standards , Phytotherapy/methods , Plant Preparations/analysis , Plant Preparations/chemistry , Random Allocation , Venoms/analysis , Viperidae , Water/analysis , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
Root barks of Chionanthus virginicus L. are used in homeopathic medicines in the treatment of icterus and hepatitis. The objective of this study is to identify novel secoiridoids and lignans and to develop a simple and reliable HPLC method for the determination of oleuropein, phillyrin, total secoiridoids and total lignans for quality control and stability studies of C. virginicus herbal drug and preparations. Secoiridoids and lignans were purified by preparative HPLC. Compounds previously described were identified by HPLC according to their retention times and UV spectra. Structures of new compounds were determined by NMR. Two compounds namely excelside B and acetoxypinoresinol-4"-O-beta-D-glucoside are described for the first time in the drug. HPLC separation was performed on Symmetry C18 (Waters) by gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.2% aqueous phosphoric acid. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limits of detection and quantification for simultaneous determination of secoiridoids and lignans in herbal drug and herbal preparations as mother tinctures. The proposed HPLC method is linear in the range studied (r2 > or = 0.9989) for all the analytes. The method is precise with intra- and inter-day variations of less than 4%. The mean recoveries of the analytes range from 99.65 to 102.81%. The method is successfully applied to the quantification of nine compounds belonging to secoiridoids and lignans and for the stability studies of these compounds. The study allowed completing the phytochemical knowledge of C. virginicus. This simple developed assay could be used as tools for routine quality control of C. virginicus herbal drug and herbal medicinal products.
Subject(s)
Oleaceae/chemistry , Plant Preparations/chemistry , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Chromatography, Thin Layer/methods , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Materia Medica/chemistry , Quality ControlABSTRACT
Background: 'Like cures like' is the principle that is followed in homoeopathy. Substances whichcause disorder in healthy individuals are used as medicines to treat similar patterns of disorder in sick persons. This article aims to find out whether any similarity picture exists at molecular levelalso that can make a selection of medicines based on scientifically measurable parameters. Method: It consisted of getting frequency domain signatures for the dielectric functions of (i) biofluids(blood serums) of six arthritis patients and (ii) medicines selected for them on the basis of macroscopic similarity. Then, they were compared to find existence/absence of similarity betweenthem.Results: Medicines administered to the six patients were Rhus tox 200cH, Thuja 30cH, Medorrhinum 200cH. The dielectric loss at resonance for the bio-fluids of the patients and themedicines are given in the body of the article.Conclusion: It was observed that the patients who had beneficial results with their medicines havea similarity (resonance frequency matching) in spectral signatures of the two groups of substancesi.e. bio-fluids (blood serum) of patients and the indicated remedies. This similarity was not evidentin the cases where medicines failed to benefit the patients. These results are explorative andenthusiastic, but as the research is limited only to patients with arthritis, generalization could notbe drawn. Further work with more rigor is required to establish the facts and apply generalizationsto other disease condition. In future, this might be a new tool to integrate the fundamental researchwith clinical applications in homeopathy. (AU)