Evaluation of the Effects of Administering Ultradiluted Avena sativa and Echinacea angustifolia on the Hematological Parameters of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) during the Reproductive Period.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Penguins are seabirds that manifest physiological and immunological alterations during the reproductive season. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the laboratory parameters of male and female Magellanic penguins and to determine the penguins' hematological response to homeopathic medicines during that reproductive period. METHODS: Penguins (N = 18), kept under human care in a zoological park setting, were evaluated during the reproductive period and were divided randomly into two groups: a group subjected to treatment with Echinacea angustifolia 6cH and Avena sativa 6cH (N = 8; four breeding couples), and a placebo control group (N = 10; five breeding couples). The investigators were blinded to treatment allocation. Two-way ANOVA was performed to determine whether the experimental group (control or verum) and the sex of the animal had any significant effect on the variation of each hematological parameter between the samples. One-way ANOVA was performed on hematological parameters for which the sex did not present a significant effect. The significance level was p ≤0.05. RESULTS: Significant effects were seen regarding the following: mean corpuscular volume (MCV), in which the verum group showed an increase (29.78 ± 52.95 fL) while the control group showed stability/reduction (-3.08 ± 46.36 fL) (p = 0.049); proportion of heterophils, in which the verum group showed a less marked increase (8.38 ± 12.53%) than that of the control group (18.00 ± 9.37%) (p = 0.010); lymphocyte concentration, in which the verum group showed less marked reduction (-4.39 ± 2.21 × 109 cells/L) than that of the control group (-1.56 ± 2.76 × 109 cells/L) (p = 0.001); and proportion of lymphocytes, in which the verum group showed a less marked reduction (-6.75 ± 10.35%) than that of the control group (-17.3 ± 8.73%) (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Comparison of samples collected before and during the reproductive period showed that, regardless of group allocation, there were differences in the effects on MCV, heterophils and lymphocytes. Treatment with Echinacea angustifolia and Avena sativa resulted in maintenance of lymphocyte levels in Magellanic penguins during the breeding period, thus aiding these birds' immunity.

A Case Report of Idiopathic OAT Syndrome, Associated with Necrospermia and Hypospermia, Reversed with Individualized Homeopathy.

BACKGROUND: Oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT) syndrome is one of the causes of male infertility, characterized by a decreased number of sperms (oligospermia), poor sperm motility (asthenospermia), and abnormal sperm shape (teratospermia). In necrospermia, spermatozoa in the ejaculated semen are dead, and in hypospermia, semen volume is less than 2 mL. The present case may be unique because of the association of all these features together in a single patient. METHOD: This idiopathic case was treated, from November 2016 to April 2017 in the National Homeopathy Research Institute in Mental Health, with the homeopathic medicine Natrium muriaticum. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homeopathy (MONARCH) score was used to assess the likelihood of causal attribution of the clinical outcome to the homeopathic medicine. RESULT: By the third month of starting homeopathic treatment, there was a marked improvement in sperm count from 14.4 to 77.4 million, semen volume from 0.8 to 2.2 mL, and normal forms from 14 to 75%. His wife became pregnant by the 5th month and delivered a healthy baby girl at full term. A MONARCH score of +9/13 indicates a positive causal relationship between the medicine prescribed and the treatment outcome. CONCLUSION: The present case report suggests a positive effect of individualized homeopathic medicine in treating a rare presentation of male infertility due to OAT syndrome.

A randomized controlled trial of homeopathic treatment of weaned piglets in a commercial swine herd.

AIM: To evaluate the zootechnic performance and occurrence of diarrhea in piglets in the week post-weaning comparing supplementation with sucrose saline which contained or did not contain added homeopathic medicine. METHOD: Animals were randomly divided into three groups of 24 piglets each. The control group did not receive any treatment. Another group received sucrose saline, and the third group received sucrose saline with homeopathic medicine added, in the period of zero to seven days post-weaning. The homeopathic treatment consisted of Echinacea angustifolia, Avena sativa, Ignatia amara, Calcarea carbonica, all 6cH. Piglets were weighed daily for weight gain or loss, and observed for diarrhea and feed intake. RESULTS: Animals receiving sucrose saline alone and sucrose saline with homeopathy had less weight loss than control (p=0.017, p=0.0001 respectively). There was no statistical difference in relation to overall incidence of diarrhea or food consumption. These data suggest that the supplementation with sucrose saline with added homeopathic medicine in the first seven days post-weaning may be an useful option to reduce weight loss in weaned piglets.

10 plantes de chez nous / 10 domestic plants

Dix cas cliniques succincts presentes a la Societe Royale Belge d'Homeopathie avec une etude repertoriale et de la matiere medicale pour chacun des remedes