Polycrystalline structures formed in evaporating droplets as a parameter to test the action of Zincum metallicum 30c in a wheat seed model

Maria Olga Kokornaczyk; Stephan Baumgartner; Lucietta Betti

doi:10.1016/j.homp.2015.10.002

Homeopathy, Table of Contents

Homeopathy 2016; 105(02): 173-179
DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2015.10.002

Original Paper

Polycrystalline structures formed in evaporating droplets as a parameter to test the action of Zincum metallicum 30c in a wheat seed model

Maria Olga Kokornaczyk

¹Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, Bologna 40127, Italy

,

Stephan Baumgartner

²Society for Cancer Research, Kirschweg 9, 4144 Arlesheim, Switzerland

³Institute of Integrative Medicine, University of Witten-Herdecke, Gerhard-Kienle-Weg 4, 58313 Herdecke, Germany

,

Lucietta Betti

¹Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, Bologna 40127, Italy

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Background: Polycrystalline structures formed inside evaporating droplets of different biological fluids have been shown sensitive towards various influences, including ultra high dilutions (UHDs), representing so a new approach potentially useful for basic research in homeopathy. In the present study we tested on a wheat seed model Zincum metallicum 30c efficacy versus lactose 30c and water.

Materials and methods: Stressed and non-stressed wheat seeds were watered with the three treatments. Seed-leakage droplets were evaporated and the polycrystalline structures formed inside the droplet residues were analyzed for their local connected fractal dimensions (LCFDs) (measure of complexity) using the software ImageJ.

Results: We have found significant differences in LCFD values of polycrystalline structures obtained from stressed seeds following the treatments (p < 0.0001); Zincum metallicum 30c lowered the structures' complexity compared to lactose 30c and water. In non-stressed seeds no significant differences were found.

Conclusions: The droplet evaporation method (DEM) might represent a potentially useful tool in basic research in homeopathy. Furthermore our results suggest a sensitization of the stressed model towards the treatment action, which is conforming to previous findings.

Keywords

Ultra high dilutions (UHDs) - Droplet evaporation method (DEM) - Crystallization - Zincum metallicum - Wheat seeds

Full Text

References

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