Homeopathic Medicines Used as Prophylaxis in Kolkata during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Community-Based, Cluster-Randomized Trial.

INTRODUCTION: There is some evidence that homeopathic treatment has been used successfully in previous epidemics, and currently some countries are testing homeoprophylaxis for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. There is a strong tradition of homeopathic treatment in India: therefore, we decided to compare three different homeopathic medicines against placebo in prevention of COVID-19 infections. METHODS: In this double-blind, cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled, four parallel arms, community-based, clinical trial, a 20,000-person sample of the population residing in Ward Number 57 of the Tangra area, Kolkata, was randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio of clusters to receive one of three homeopathic medicines (Bryonia alba 30cH, Gelsemium sempervirens 30cH, Phosphorus 30cH) or identical-looking placebo, for 3 (children) or 6 (adults) days. All the participants, who were aged 5 to 75 years, received ascorbic acid (vitamin C) tablets of 500 mg, once per day for 6 days. In addition, instructions on healthy diet and general hygienic measures, including hand washing, social distancing and proper use of mask and gloves, were given to all the participants. RESULTS: No new confirmed COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in the target population during the follow-up timeframe of 1 month-December 20, 2020 to January 19, 2021-thus making the trial inconclusive. The Phosphorus group had the least exposure to COVID-19 compared with the other groups. In comparison with placebo, the occurrence of unconfirmed COVID-19 cases was significantly less in the Phosphorus group (week 1: odds ratio [OR], 0.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06 to 0.16; week 2: OR, 0.004; 95% CI, 0.0002 to 0.06; week 3: OR, 0.007; 95% CI, 0.0004 to 0.11; week 4: OR, 0.009; 95% CI, 0.0006 to 0.14), but not in the Bryonia or Gelsemium groups. CONCLUSION: Overall, the trial was inconclusive. The possible effect exerted by Phosphorus necessitates further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CTRI/2020/11/029265.

Verification of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Characterization of Traditional Homeopathically Manufactured Metal (Cuprum metallicum) and Plant (Gelsemium sempervirens) Medicines and Controls.

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".

Clinical Characteristics and Remedy Profiles of Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify indicated homeopathic remedies based on the clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in India. METHODS: In this retrospective, cohort study, confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted at a COVID Health Centre in New Delhi between April 29 and June 17, 2020 were given conventional and homeopathic treatment. Patients were grouped into mild, moderate or severe categories of disease. Their symptomatologic profiles were analyzed to identify indicated homeopathic medicines. RESULTS: A total of 196 COVID-19 patients were admitted. One hundred and seventy-eight patients had mild symptoms; eighteen patients had moderate symptoms; no patients with severe symptoms were included as they were referred to tertiary care centers with ventilatory support. The mean age of patients with mild symptoms was significantly lower (38.6 years; standard deviation or SD ± 15.8) compared with patients in the moderate category (66.0 years; SD ± 9.09). The most important symptoms identified were fever (43.4%), cough (47.4%), sore throat (29.6%), headache (18.4%), myalgia (17.9%), fatigue (16.8%), chest discomfort (13.8%), chills (12.6%), shortness of breath (11.2%) and loss of taste (10.2%). Twenty-eight homeopathic medicines were prescribed, the most frequently indicated being Bryonia alba (33.3%), Arsenicum album (18.1%), Pulsatilla nigricans (13.8%), Nux vomica (8%), Rhus toxicodendron (7.2%) and Gelsemium sempervirens (5.8%), in 30C potency. CONCLUSION: Data from the current study reveal that Arsenicum album, Bryonia alba, Pulsatilla nigricans, Nux vomica, Rhus toxicodendron and Gelsemium sempervirens are the most frequently indicated homeopathic medicines. A randomized controlled clinical trial based on this finding is the next step.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance characterization of traditional homeopathically manufactured copper (Cuprum metallicum) and plant (Gelsemium sempervirens) medicines and controls.

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 H⋯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.

Extreme sensitivity of gene expression in human SH-SY5Y neurocytes to ultra-low doses of Gelsemium sempervirens.

BACKGROUND: Gelsemium sempervirens L. (Gelsemium s.) is a traditional medicinal plant, employed as an anxiolytic at ultra-low doses and animal models recently confirmed this activity. However the mechanisms by which it might operate on the nervous system are largely unknown. This work investigates the gene expression of a human neurocyte cell line treated with increasing dilutions of Gelsemium s. extract. METHODS: Starting from the crude extract, six 100 × (centesimal, c) dilutions of Gelsemium s. (2c, 3c, 4c, 5c, 9c and 30c) were prepared according to the French homeopathic pharmacopoeia. Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed for 24 h to test dilutions, and their transcriptome compared by microarray to that of cells treated with control vehicle solutions. RESULTS: Exposure to the Gelsemium s. 2c dilution (the highest dose employed, corresponding to a gelsemine concentration of 6.5 × 10(-9) M) significantly changed the expression of 56 genes, of which 49 were down-regulated and 7 were overexpressed. Several of the down-regulated genes belonged to G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathways, calcium homeostasis, inflammatory response and neuropeptide receptors. Fisher exact test, applied to the group of 49 genes down-regulated by Gelsemium s. 2c, showed that the direction of effects was significantly maintained across the treatment with high homeopathic dilutions, even though the size of the differences was distributed in a small range. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that Gelsemium s., a medicinal plant used in traditional remedies and homeopathy, modulates a series of genes involved in neuronal function. A small, but statistically significant, response was detected even to very low doses/high dilutions (up to 30c), indicating that the human neurocyte genome is extremely sensitive to this regulation.

Assays of homeopathic remedies in rodent behavioural and psychopathological models.

The first part of this paper reviews the effects of homeopathic remedies on several models of anxiety-like behaviours developed and described in rodents. The existing literature in this field comprises some fifteen exploratory studies, often published in non-indexed and non-peer-reviewed journals. Only a few results have been confirmed by multiple laboratories, and concern Ignatia, Gelsemium, Chamomilla (in homeopathic dilutions/potencies). Nevertheless, there are some interesting results pointing to the possible efficacy of other remedies, and confirming a statistically significant effect of high dilutions of neurotrophic molecules and antibodies. In the second part of this paper we report some recent results obtained in our laboratory, testing Aconitum, Nux vomica, Belladonna, Argentum nitricum, Tabacum (all 5CH potency) and Gelsemium (5, 7, 9 and 30CH potencies) on mice using ethological models of behaviour. The test was performed using coded drugs and controls in double blind (operations and calculations). After an initial screening that showed all the tested remedies (except for Belladonna) to have some effects on the behavioural parameters (light-dark test and open-field test), but with high experimental variability, we focused our study on Gelsemium, and carried out two complete series of experiments. The results showed that Gelsemium had several effects on the exploratory behaviour of mice, which in some models were highly statistically significant (p < 0.001), in all the dilutions/dynamizations used, but with complex differences according to the experimental conditions and test performed. Finally, some methodological issues of animal research in this field of homeopathy are discussed. The "Gelsemium model" - encompassing experimental studies in vitro and in vivo from different laboratories and with different methods, including significant effects of its major active principle gelsemine - may play a pivotal rule for investigations on other homeopathic remedies.

The Metabolism and Disposition of Koumine, Gelsemine and Humantenmine from Gelsemium.

BACKGROUND: Gelsemium is a toxic flowering plant of the Gelsemiaceae family. It is used to treat skin diseases in China, and it is an important medicinal and homeopathic plant in North America. Up to now, more than 200 compounds have been isolated and reported from Gelsemium. More than 120 of these are indole alkaloids, including the main components, koumine, gelsemine and humantenmine which produce the pharmacological and toxicological effects of Gelsemium. However, their clinical application their limited by its narrow therapeutic window. Therefore, it is very important to study the metabolism and disposition of indole alkaloids from Gelsemium before their clinical application. This paper reviews all the reports on the metabolism and disposition of alkaloids isolated from Gelsemium at home and abroad. METHODS: The metabolism and disposition of alkaloids from Gelsemium were searched by the Web of Science, NCBI, PubMed and some Chinese literature databases. RESULTS: Only koumine, gelsemine and humantenmine have been reported, and few other alkaloids have been described. These studies indicated that the three indole alkaloids are absorbed rapidly, widely distributed in tissues, extensively metabolized and rapidly eliminated. There are species differences in the metabolism of these alkaloids, which is the reason for the differences in their toxicity in animals and humans. CONCLUSION: This review not only explains the pharmacokinetics of indole alkaloids from Gelsemium but also facilitates further study on their metabolism and mechanism of toxicity.

In vitro studies demonstrate anticancer activity of an alkaloid of the plant Gelsemium sempervirens.

The chemical structure of the main fluorescenting compound in the ethanolic extract (mother tincture) of the American yellow jasmine, Gelsemium sempervirens, was determined by employing (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), (13)C NMR, mass spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), correlation spectroscopy (COSY), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses. Spectrofluorometric analysis has been made of the mother tincture and its agitated serial dilutions (up to 12th potency) prepared according to a homeopathic procedure in which serial, agitated dilutions were made separately in glass and polypropylene containers. The succussions were made by employing three different modes: hand jerk, sonication, and vortexing. The chemical formula of scopoletin, the main fluorescent compound, was determined to be C(10)H(8)O(4) having a molecular weight of 192.17. Significant differences were noted between the remedies prepared in the two types of containers. Further, a comparison between any two methods of agitation revealed significant differences in fluorometric data of remedies at certain potency levels. The biological (anticancer) action of the crude extract, the alkaloid scopoletin, and 2C potency of Gelsemium sp were tested in vitro on the HeLa cell line through fluorescence microscopy, the 3(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS). The role of nanoparticles presumably derived from the containers, their orientation, and their interaction with the starting substance during the dynamization process initiated by different modes of agitation could possibly be attributed to the differences noted in the fluorometric data of potencies prepared in the two types of containers and among the three different means of succussion tested.

Homeopathic complex remedy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis: results of a prospective, multicenter observational study.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), also known as hay fever, is a widespread chronic respiratory disease. In treatment of SAR the use of complementary therapies is increasing, but little has been published about homeopathic complex remedies so far. Therefore, we think it is time to conduct and publish an appropriate observational study. METHODS: Course of single symptoms, impairment of quality of life, general efficacy, and tolerability of a homeopathic complex remedy containing active substances on a low dilution level have been assessed and analyzed. Altogether, 123 patients with a history of allergic rhinitis of up to 45 years have been observed for about 4 weeks. RESULTS: The majority of symptoms were shown to improve substantially and the patients' quality of life increased clearly. The overall symptom score decreased significantly from 10.3 ± 4.7 to 3.9 ± 3.1 points (p < 0.0001), and reduction of impairment of quality of life from 5.7 ± 2.3 to 1.9 ± 1.8 score points was also significant (p < 0.0001). Rating of efficacy of study medication was markedly better than efficacy rating of previous therapies (p = 0.0193). Apart from one temporary allergic reaction, the treatment was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The homeopathic complex remedy (Pascallerg®) tested in this observational study offers a useful option in treatment of SAR in children and adults.

Reconstituted mother tinctures of Gelsemium sempervirens L. improve memory and cognitive impairment in mice scopolamine-induced dementia model.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gelsemium sempervirens (L.) J.St.-Hil is a herb used for the treatment of various neuroses in both homeopathic and Ayurvedic systems. The present study examines whether Gelsemium reconstituted tincture can protect against scopolamine induced cognitive discrepancies in amnesic mouse model. In order to investigate the protective mechanism of Gelsemium against dementia, in vitro acetyl cholinesterase and ß-secretase enzyme inhibition and estimation of glutathione level in mouse brain were carried out. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The inhibition study on acetyl cholinesterase and ß-secretase enzyme was conducted on brain homogenate supernatant spectrophotometrically using specific substrate. Cognitive enhancement activity was assessed by elevated plus maze and passive avoidance study in scopolamine induced dementia mouse model. Glutathione, an anti-oxidant, was measured spectrophotometrically from scopolamine induced amnesic mice brain supernatant using 5,5'-dithiobis 2-nitrobenzoic acid in the presence and absence of Gelsemium tincture. RESULTS: Significant inhibition was found with Gelsemium on AChE and ß-secretase enzyme with an IC50 of 9.25 and 16.25 µg/ml, respectively, followed by increasing glutathione levels in comparison to the untreated dementia group. The effect of Gelsemium of scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits was determined by measuring the behavioral parameters and the antioxidant status of the brain after scopolamine (1mg/kg i.p.) injected amnesic mice. Gelsemium significantly demonstrated in vivo anti-dementia activity (60% protection) and increased exploratory behavior. CONCLUSION: Our investigations indicated that alkaloid, iridoids and coumarin enriched reconstituted Gelsemium tincture extract displays promising cognitive enhancement in adult mice after short-term oral treatment. Hence, Gelsemium can be a promising anti-dementia agent, mediating the protection against amnesia, attention disorders and learning dysfunctions through dual inhibition of both acetyl cholinesterases (no false positive effect was shown), ß-secretase and antioxidant activity.

Homeopatia: uma forma de tratamento e prevenção da COVID-19. Revisão da literatura / Homeopathy: a form of treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Review

A COVID-19 é uma doença multifatorial infecciosa causada pela SARS-COV-2, cepa advinda de uma ampla família de vírus, que podem causar desde um resfriado comum até doenças mais graves, como síndrome respiratória aguda grave (SRAG). Reportada primariamente em Wuang, na China, no ano de 2019, esta doença foi declarada pandemia pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) no ano seguinte. A manifestação da doença pode variar de pessoas assintomáticas, a casos leves, moderados e graves. Por na época ser uma doença com alta transmissibilidade, virulência e mortalidade, as organizações de saúde se esforçaram para criar o mais rápido possível vacinas para evitar as formas mais graves desta patologia. Em contrapartida, os praticantes da homeopatia hahnemanniana focaram em pesquisar medicamentos homeopáticos para curar e prevenir, por meio do "gênio epidêmico", ou seja, conforme o conjunto de sinais e sintomas peculiares à doença coletiva. Diversos medicamentos foram considerados para prevenir e tratar a COVID-19, com resultados positivos em sua maioria. No entanto, há ainda a necessidade de realizar estudos com uma qualidade metodológica mais rigorosa para se obter evidências científicas melhores.

COVID-19 is a multifactorial infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a strain derived from a broad family of viruses that can cause anything from the common cold to more severe diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Initially reported in Wuhan, China, in 2019, this disease was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) the following year. The manifestation of the disease can vary from asymptomatic individuals to mild, moderate, and severe cases. At the time, as it was a disease with high transmissibility, virulence, and mortality, health organisations made efforts to create vaccines as quickly as possible to prevent the more severe forms of this pathology. In contrast, practitioners of Hahnemannian homeopathy focused on researching homeopathic remedies to cure and prevent it through the "epidemic genius", which means according to the set of peculiar signs and symptoms of the collective disease. Various remedies were considered to prevent and treat COVID-19, with mostly positive results. However, there is still a need to conduct studies with more rigorous methodological quality to obtain better scientific evidence.

Medicinal plants of the genus Gelsemium (Gelsemiaceae, Gentianales)--a review of their phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and traditional use.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In the genus Gelsemium, Gelsemium elegans (Gardn. & Champ.) Benth. has been recognized as a toxic plant that is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and has been used as traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid pain, neuropathic pain, spasticity, skin ulcers and cancers for many years. Gelsemium sempervirens (L.) J.St.-Hil. has been used since the nineteenth century in homeopathy for treating anxiety, neuralgia, migraine and spasmodic disorders, such as asthma and whooping cough in North America. This review aims to provide comprehensive information on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological research and toxicology of medicinal plants in the genus Gelsemium. The overall objective is to explore the evidence supporting its ethnopharmacological effectiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature survey was performed by searching the scientific databases Pubmed, Google Scholar, SciFinder, Scopus, Web of Science and the Chinese CNKI, in addition to traditional Chinese medicine and homeopathic texts for information on Gelsemium. RESULTS: Plants of the genus Gelsemium have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of migraines, neuralgia, sciatica, cancer and various types of sores. Studies into the phytochemical composition of this genus have shown that all of the species are rich sources of monoterpene indole alkaloids and that they have attracted the attention of many researchers due to their markedly diverse and complex architecture. To date, a total of 121 alkaloids have been isolated and identified from the genus. The crude extracts, as well as the monomeric compounds, from the genus possess anti-tumor, analgesic, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating pharmacological activities. CONCLUSION: It is evident from the available literature that Gelsemium species possess potential for use as a beneficial therapeutic remedy. However, the analysis of previous pharmacological research suggests that a clear assignment of active molecules and mechanisms of action is remain lacking. Due to their high toxicity, the studies available on toxicity and safety are inadequate for providing information on clinical utilization.

Effects of Gelsemium sempervirens L. on pathway-focused gene expression profiling in neuronal cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gelsemium sempervirens L. is a traditional medicinal plant mainly distributed in the southeastern of the United States, employed in phytotheraphy and homeopathy as nervous system relaxant to treat various types of anxiety, pain, headache and other ailments. Although animal models showed its effectiveness, the mechanisms by which it might operate on the nervous system are largely unknown. This study investigated for the first time by a real-time PCR technique (RT-PCR Array) the gene expression of a panel of human neurotransmitter receptors and regulators, involved in neuronal excitatory signaling, on a neurocyte cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed for 24h to Gelsemium sempervirens at 2c and 9c dilutions (i.e. 2 and 9-fold centesimal dilutions from mother tincture) and the gene expression profile compared to that of cells treated with control vehicle solutions. RESULTS: Exposure to the Gelsemium sempervirens 2c dilution, containing a nanomolar concentration of active principle gelsemine, induced a down-regulation of most genes of this array. In particular, the treated cells showed a statistically significant decrease of the prokineticin receptor 2, whose ligand is a neuropeptide involved in nociception, anxiety and depression-like behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results indicate a negative modulation trend in neuronal excitatory signaling, which can suggest new working hypotheses on the anxiolytic and analgesic action of this plant.

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles by ethanolic extracts of Phytolacca decandra, Gelsemium sempervirens, Hydrastis canadensis and Thuja occidentalis induce differential cytotoxicity through G2/M arrest in A375 cells.

The capability of crude ethanolic extracts of certain medicinal plants like Phytolacca decandra, Gelsemium sempervirens, Hydrastis canadensis and Thuja occidentalis used as homeopathic mother tinctures in precipitating silver nanoparticles from aqueous solution of silver nitrate has been explored. Nanoparticles thus precipitated were characterized by spectroscopic, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, atomic force and transmission electron microscopic analyses. The drug-DNA interactions of silver nanoparticles were analyzed from data of circular dichroism spectroscopy and melting temperature profiles using calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) as target. Biological activities of silver nanoparticles of different origin were then tested to evaluate their effective anti-proliferative and anti-bacterial properties, if any, by exposing them to A375 skin melanoma cells and to Escherichia coli C, respectively. Silver nanoparticles showed differences in their level of anti-cancer and anti-bacterial potentials. The nanoparticles of different origin interacted differently with CT-DNA, showing differences in their binding capacities. Particle size differences of the nanoparticles could be attributed for causing differences in their cellular entry and biological action. The ethanolic extracts of these plants had not been tested earlier for their possible efficacies in synthesizing nanoparticles from silver nitrate solution that had beneficial biological action, opening up a possibility of having therapeutic values in the management of diseases including cancer.

Effect of Gelsemium 5CH and 15CH on anticipatory anxiety: a phase III, single-centre, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Therapeutics to treat or prevent anxiety are numerous but many people choose to try non-conventional medicine such as homeopathy. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of Gelsemium 5CH and 15CH on provoked anxiety in healthy volunteers, in comparison with placebo. This was a double-blind, single-centre, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Eligible healthy men or women aged from 18 to 40 years without a history of psychiatric disorders were randomly allocated to receive Gelsemium 5 or 15CH or placebo. Anxiety was proved by performance of the Stroop colour word test (SCWT). The primary end-point was anxiety assessed by the State measure of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) as the absolute value and difference with baseline, according to the treatment received. We included 180 healthy volunteers. The distribution into each treatment group was homogenous. There was no statistical difference between groups for the values of STAI-S at baseline, just before the SCWT and the difference between these times (1.8 [0.20 to 3.4], 1.0 [-0.6 to 2.6] and 1.4 [-0.3 to 3.0] for Gelsemium 15CH, 5CH and placebo respectively). Likewise, no statistical difference was observed between groups in anxiety as measured by a Visual Analogue Scale and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate significantly increased (P < 0.001) but no interaction between time prior to provoked anxiety and treatment was shown (P = 0.59 and P = 0.46, respectively). Gelsemium 5CH and 15CH do not prevent anticipatory anxiety in the conditions used in this study.

Encapsulated plant extract (Gelsemium sempervirens) poly (lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles enhance cellular uptake and increase bioactivity in vitro.

Ethanolic extract of Gelsemium sempervirens (family: Loganiaceae), henceforth to be called EEGS, is used in various traditional systems of medicine. In homeopathy, EEGS is known as mother tincture of G. sempervirens, which is generally used to treat pain and respiratory ailments. We demonstrated earlier anticancer activity of crude EEGS by in vitro studies on human HeLa cells. To test the hypothesis if nanoparticle-encapsulated extract (now onwards to be called NEEGS) could enhance cellular uptake and thereby improve bioactivity, we formulated nanoparticle encapsulation based on poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and confirmed encapsulation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy. EEGS was encapsulated with 81.6% efficiency in PLGA biodegradable nanoparticle formulation and F68 (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene) was used as a stabilizer. Dynamic laser light scattering and SEM indicated a particle diameter of 122.6 nm. The zeta potential of the drug-loaded nanoparticles was -14.8 mV. NEEGS was characterized for their biological activities in a skin cancer cell line A375 in vitro. NEEGS exhibited relatively rapid (30 min) and more efficient cellular uptake than their un-encapsulated counterpart (45 min). Analysis of data of apoptosis study using Annexin V-FITC, terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay and DNA ladder revealed that encapsulated EEGS was more potent than their un-encapsulated counterpart in inducing apoptosis of A375 cells. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction data of survivin, cyclin-D1, caspase-3, PCNA and p53 also corroborated well to suggest greater potentials of NEEGS as anticancer agents.

Dose-effect study of Gelsemium sempervirens in high dilutions on anxiety-related responses in mice.

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to investigate the putative anxiolytic-like activity of ultra-low doses of Gelsemium sempervirens (G. sempervirens), produced according to the homeopathic pharmacopeia. METHODS: Five different centesimal (C) dilutions of G. sempervirens (4C, 5C, 7C, 9C and 30C), the drug buspirone (5 mg/kg) and solvent vehicle were delivered intraperitoneally to groups of ICR-CD1 mice over a period of 9 days. The behavioral effects were assessed in the open-field (OF) and light-dark (LD) tests in blind and randomized fashion. RESULTS: Most G. sempervirens dilutions did not affect the total distance traveled in the OF (only the 5C had an almost significant stimulatory effect on this parameter), indicating that the medicine caused no sedation effects or unspecific changes in locomotor activity. In the same test, buspirone induced a slight but statistically significant decrease in locomotion. G. sempervirens showed little stimulatory activity on the time spent and distance traveled in the central zone of the OF, but this effect was not statistically significant. In the LD test, G. sempervirens increased the % time spent in the light compartment, an indicator of anxiolytic-like activity, with a statistically significant effect using the 5C, 9C and 30C dilutions. These effects were comparable to those of buspirone. The number of transitions between the compartments of the LD test markedly increased with G. sempervirens 5C, 9C and 30C dilutions. CONCLUSION: The overall pattern of results provides evidence that G. sempervirens acts on the emotional reactivity of mice, and that its anxiolytic-like effects are apparent, with a non-linear relationship, even at high dilutions.