Download PDF
Homeopathy 2017; 106(01): 47-54
DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2016.12.001
Original Paper
Copyright © The Faculty of Homeopathy 2016

Number of succussion strokes affects effectiveness of ultra-high-diluted arsenic on in vitro wheat germination and polycrystalline structures obtained by droplet evaporation method

Lucietta Betti
1   Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
,
Grazia Trebbi
1   Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
,
Maria Olga Kokornaczyk
2   Society for Cancer Research, Switzerland
,
Daniele Nani
3   Italian National Health System, Lombardy District, “Azienda Sanitaria Locale” Milan, Italy
,
Maurizio Peruzzi
4   Association for Sensitive Crystallization, Andalo Valtellino, Sondrio, Italy
,
Giovanni Dinelli
1   Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
,
Paolo Bellavite
5   Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Italy
,
Maurizio Brizzi
6   Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 14 December 2015
revised 09 November 2016

accepted 04 December 2016

Publication Date:
28 December 2017 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the number of succussion strokes applied after each dilution step when preparing the homeopathic treatments influences the effectiveness of ultra-high-diluted (UHD) arsenic trioxide at the 45th decimal dilution/dynamization (As2O3 45x).

Design: Wheat seeds, previously stressed with ponderal As2O3, were treated with: As2O3 45x, H2O 45x (dynamized control), or pure water (negative control). The succussion was done manually, and various succussion durations (numbers of strokes) were tested for each treatment. Treatment effectiveness was tested blind using the in vitro germination test and the droplet evaporation method (DEM). Data were processed by the Poisson test (germination test) and by two-way analysis of variance (DEM).

Main outcome measures: We evaluated both the in vitro germination rate, by counting the non-germinated seeds, and the complexity of polycrystalline structures (PCS) (local connected fractal dimension (LCFD)) obtained by evaporating leakage droplets from stressed seeds that had been watered with the different treatments.

Results: We observed a highly significant increase in germination rate when the number of strokes (NS) was ≥32 for both As2O3 45x and H2O 45x, and a significant increase in the LCFD of PCS for As2O3 45x when the NS was ≥32 and for H2O 45x when it was 70.

Conclusions: Both experimental approaches showed increased effectiveness for treatments prepared with a higher number of succussion strokes. These results indicate that succussion may have an important influence on treatment effectiveness, and so highlight the need for further research.

Keywords

Ultra high dilutions - Succussion number - Isopathic model - Wheat - Germination test - Droplet evaporation method - Crystalline structures

 

  • References

  • 1 Holandino C., Leal F.D., de Oliveira Barcellos B. et al. Mechanical versus handmade succussions: a physical chemistry comparison. In: (ed). Bonamin L.V. Signals and Images. Springer Science+Business Media B.V.; 2008: 37-48.
    CrossrefSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Torres J.L. On the physical basis of succussion. Homeopathy 2002; 91: 221-224.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Yinnon T.A., Yinnon C.A. Electric dipole aggregates in very diluted polar liquids: theory and experimental evidence. Int J Mod Phys B 2011; 25: 3707-3743.
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Yinnon T.A., Elia V. Dynamics in perturbed very diluted aqueous solutions: theory and experimental evidence. Int J Mod Phys B 2013; 27: 1350005 (35 pages).
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Bellavite P., Marzotto M., Olioso D., Moratti E., Conforti A. High-dilution effects revisited. 1. Physicochemical aspects. Homeopathy 2014; 103: 4-21.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Witt C.M., Lüdtke R., WeilƷhuhn T.E.R., Quint P., Willich S.N. The role of trace elements in homeopathic preparations and the influence of container material, storage duration, and potentisation. Forschende Komplementarmedizin 2006; 13: 15-21.
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Demangeat J.L. Gas nanobubbles and aqueous nanostructures: the crucial role of dynamization. Homeopathy 2015; 104: 101-115.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Anick D.J. The octave potencies convention: a mathematical model of dilution and succussion. Homeopathy 2007; 96: 202-208.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Hahnemann S. In: Dudgeon R.E. (ed). Lectures on the Theory and Practice of Homeopathy. 1853.
  • 10 Betti L., Trebbi G., Zurla M., Nani D., Peruzzi M., Brizzi M. A review of three simple plant models and corresponding statistical tools for basic research in homeopathy. ScientificWorldJournal 2010; 10: 2330-2347.
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Betti L., Brizzi M., Nani D., Peruzzi M. Effect of high dilutions of Arsenicum album on wheat seedlings poisoned with the same substance. Br Homeopath J 1997; 86: 86-89.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Brizzi M., Nani D., Peruzzi M., Betti L. Statistical analysis of the effect of high dilutions of arsenic in a large dataset from a wheat germination model. Br Homeopath J 2000; 89: 63-67.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Brizzi M., Elia V., Trebbi G., Nani D., Peruzzi M., Betti L. The efficacy of ultramolecular aqueous dilutions on a wheat germination model as a function of heat and aging-time. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2011; 11 ID 696298.
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Betti L., Elia V., Napoli E. et al. Biological effects and physic-chemical properties of extremely diluted aqueous solutions as a function of aging-time. Front Life Sci 2012; 10 10.1080/21553769.2011.638986.
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Brizzi M., Lazzarato L., Nani D., Borghini F., Peruzzi M., Betti L. A biostatistical insight into the As2O3 high dilution effects on the rate and variability of wheat seedling growth. Forschende Komplementarmedizin 2005; 12: 277-283.
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Nani D., Brizzi M., Lazzarato L., Betti L. The role of variability in evaluating ultra high dilution effects: considerations based on plant model experiments. Forschende Komplementarmedizin 2007; 14: 301-305.
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Marotti I., Betti L., Bregola V. et al. Transcriptome profiling of wheat seedlings following treatment with ultrahigh diluted arsenic trioxide. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2014; 15 ID 851263.
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Kokornaczyk M.O., Dinelli G., Marotti I., Benedettelli S., Nani D., Betti L. Self-organized crystallization patterns from evaporating droplets of common wheat grain leakages as a potential tool for quality analysis. ScientificWorldJournal 2011; 11: 1712-1725.
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Kokornaczyk M.O., Trebbi G., Dinelli G. et al. Droplet evaporation method as a new potential approach for highlighting the effectiveness of ultra high dilutions. Complement Ther Med 2014; 22: 333-340.
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Deegan R. Pattern formation in drying drops. Phys Rev E 2000; 61: 475-485.
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Magnani P., Conforti A., Zanolin E., Marzotto M., Bellavite P. Dose-effect study of Gelsemium sempervirens in high dilutions on anxiety-related responses in mice. Psychopharmacol (Berl) 2010; 210: 533-545.
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Collins T.J. ImageJ for microscopy. Biotechniques 2007; 43: 25-30.
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Karperien. FracLac for ImageJ, version 2.5. http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/plugins/fraclac/FLHelp./Introduction.htm.
    PubMed
  • 24 Stephens M.A. EDF statistic for goodness-of-fit and some comparisons. J Am Stat Assoc 1974; 69: 730-737.
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Sachs L. A handbook of techniques. New York: Springer Verlag; 1984: 186-189.
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 26 Betti L., Lazzarato L., Trebbi G. et al. Effects of homeopathic arsenic on tobacco plant resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. Theoretical suggestions about system variability, based on a large experimental data set. Homeopathy 2003; 92: 195-202.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Betti L., Brizzi M., Nani D., Peruzzi M. A pilot statistical study with homeopathic potencies of Arsenicum album in wheat germination as a simple model. Br Homeopath J 1994; 83: 195-201.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Majewsky V., Scherr C., Arlt S.P. et al. Reproducibility of effects of homeopathically potentised gibberellic acid on the growth of Lemna gibba L. in a randomised and blinded bioassay. Homeopathy 2014; 103: 113-126.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 29 Garner C., Hock N. Chaos theory and homeopathy. Berlin J Res Homeopathy 1991; 1: 236-242.
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 30 Shepperd J. Chaos theory: implications for homeopathy. J Am Inst Homeopathy 1994; 87: 22-29.
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 31 Bellavite P. Complexity science and homeopathy: a synthetic overview. Homeopathy 2003; 92: 203-212.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 32 Elia V., Ausanio G., Gentile F., Germano R., Napoli E., Niccoli M. Experimental evidence of stable water nanostructures in extremely dilute solutions, at standard pressure and temperature. Homeopathy 2014; 103: 44-50.
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar