Bryonia Alba Research Articles

Individualized homeopathic medicines in preventing the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm trial

ContextPre-diabetes is a significant public health problem worldwide. India has a very high rate of progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes, 75–78 per thousand persons per year. ObjectiveTo study the efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicinal products (HMPs) against placebos in preventing the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes. DesignSix-month, double-blind, randomized (1:1), two parallel arms, placebo-controlled trial. SettingOutpatient departments of D. N. De Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. PatientsSixty participants with pre-diabetes. InterventionsVerum: HMPs plus yoga therapy (YT; n = 30); control: identical-looking placebos plus YT (n = 30). Main outcome measuresThe primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of participants progressing from pre-diabetes to diabetes, measured after three and six months. Secondary outcomes comprised of fasting blood glucose (FBS), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), glycated hemoglobin percentage (HbA1c%), lipid profile, liver enzymes (alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase), urea and creatinine, and Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile version 2 (MYMOP-2); all measured after 3 and 6 months. ResultsThe proportion of participants converted from pre-diabetics to diabetics (n/N; n = diabetics, N = prediabetics) was significantly less in the verum group than control: HbA1C% (month 3: verum – 2/30 versus control – 11/30, p = 0.003; month 6: 3/30 vs. 2/30, p = 0.008), OGTT (month 3: 0/30 vs. 8/30, p = 0.015; month 6: 0/30 vs. 1/30, p = 0.008), but not according to FBS (month 3: 1/30 vs. 1/30, p = 0.779; month 6: 1/30 vs. 3/30, p = 0.469). Several secondary outcomes also revealed significant improvements in the verum group than in placebo: HbA1C% (p < 0.001), OGTT (p = 0.001), serum ALT (p = 0.031), creatinine (p = 0.012), and MYMOP-2 profile scores (p < 0.001). Sulphur, Bryonia alba, and Thuja occidentalis were the most frequently indicated medicines. Thus, HMPs outperformed placebos by successfully preventing the progression of pre-diabetes to diabetes. Trial registrationClinical Trials Registry – India CTRI/2022/04/042,026; UTN: U1111–1277–0021

Homeopathic Medicines in Third (Omicron) Wave of COVID-19: Prognostic Factor Research.

With the emergence of new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, such as the Omicron variant, during the third wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a need to identify useful homeopathic medicines. This study aimed to identify such medicines and their indications using prognostic factor research (PFR). This was an open-label, multi-centred observational study conducted in January 2022, on confirmed COVID-19 cases. The data were collected from integrated COVID Care Centres in Delhi, India, where homeopathic medicines were prescribed along with conventional treatment. Only those cases that met a set of selection criteria were considered for analysis. The likelihood ratio (LR) was calculated for the frequently occurring symptoms of the frequently prescribed medicines. An LR of 1.3 or greater was considered meaningful. Out of the 362 COVID-19 cases, 263 cases were selected for analysis after applying selection criteria. Common symptoms included fatigue, cough, sore throat, myalgia and headache. Twenty-one medicines were prescribed, of which nine medicines - Gelsemium sempervirens, Bryonia alba, Hepar sulphuris, Rhus toxicodendron, Pulsatilla nigricans, Arsenicum album, Belladonna, Nux vomica and Phosphorus - were frequently used. By calculating LRs, the study identified meaningful indications for these medicines. Homeopathic medicines have shown promising results in the third wave of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy. The medicines that were used in the first and second waves were found useful in the third wave also, and their indications were analogous to those found in the earlier waves. Certain new indications of some medicines were elicited in this wave, which warrant further research. However, it is important not to restrict to these medicines only and to continue data collection on COVID-19 in future waves for the improvement of the COVID-19 mini-repertory.

Action of ultra-diluted ethanol extract of Bryonia alba on HepG2 liver cancer cells

Objectives In this study we explored Bryonia alba as a new anti-cancer agent against liver cancer cells. Material and Methods The Bryonia 6C - an alternative medicine was applied on HepG2 liver cancer cell line to find out its effectiveness indicating morphological and cytokine changes by observing cytopathic effect and RT-PCR study. Results The result showed a possible anti-cancer effect of Bryonia 6C with degenerative changes on the cancer cells. A cytokine imbalance was also noticed within 24 hours detrimental to the malignant environment of these cells. Conclusion The alternative medicine Bryonia 6C is an effective anticancer agent against liver cancer cells.

Homoeopathic Treatment of Mild Cases of COVID-19 on Home Isolation: A Retrospective Observational Study

AbstractWhile the world grappled with the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), medical fraternity and policy makers tried desperately to control its spread in the absence of any definite treatment protocol. The scope of homoeopathy, which has been historically found effective in epidemics, has been investigated in the present study. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of individualised homoeopathic medicine on mild cases of COVID-19 under home isolation. A retrospective, single-arm, non-randomised, open-label, observational trial was conducted on 185 laboratory confirmed mild cases of COVID-19 at Nehru Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Delhi, during September to December 2020. Complete symptom resolution days was the primary outcome (from baseline to total zero symptom score); Each COVID-19 symptom and sign was assessed on a scale of 0 to 3 (0–absent, 1–mild, 2–moderate, 3–severe) to assess the symptom incidence and severity both at baseline and during daily follow-up for 14 days after enrolment to assess the effect of individualised homoeopathic medicines as the secondary outcomes. Intention-to-treat sample (n = 185) was analysed in SPSS IBM version 20. Of all the patients (n = 185), 165 (90%) successfully completed the follow-up period. The mean (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 35 (26–45) years; the male: female ratio was 11:9.2. Fever (56%), cough (54%), fatigue (45%) and sore throat (36%) were the most common symptoms reported. Median (IQR) time for resolution of symptoms was 4 (3–8) days. Sixty-eight per cent patients recovered within 6 days and rest within 7 to 14 days. The most prescribed medicines were Bryonia alba (30%), Arsenicum album (25%) and Pulsatilla nigricans (12%) accounting for 67% of the total medicines. This study, though preliminary, revealed a positive treatment effect of individualised homoeopathic medicines in promptly alleviating the symptoms of mild COVID-19. Randomised controlled trials with greater scientific rigour are warranted.

Evaluation of Adjunctive Homoeopathy Treatment in COVID-19 Hospitalised Patients at the Gujarat State’s Dedicated COVID-19 Hospitals and Covid-Care Clinics During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicentric, Single-Arm Retrospective Data Analysis Study

This retrospective data analysis study aims to analyze the data collected during adjunctive homeopathy treatment of COVID-19 patients by the Homoeopathic medical officers (HMO) in Gujarat state-dedicated COVID-19 hospitals (DCH) during the first wave of the pandemic. The HMOs used the standard data collection forms/sheets to record each patient's demographic information, clinical symptoms, homoeopathic management, and outcome data. Data of all cases hospitalized with COVID-19 of any age, and both genders were included, and entries with missing values or incomplete/ incorrect information were excluded from the analysis. The outcome measure is the recovery duration, time to clinical improvement, worsening symptoms, and indicated homeopathic medicines. Data from 2581 cases analyzed showed clinical recovery time after adjunctive homeopathy as 05 days (IQR: 3-7); the Mean was 5.19 days (SD:4.62), with 80% of patients (2063 out of 2581) discharged between 0-7 days out of which more than 20.4% patients (419 out of 2063) having at least one of the comorbidities. Only 03 deaths of male patients above 50 years with comorbidities and 67 cases (2.6%) with worsening symptoms were reported. The homeopathic medicines used were &lt;em&gt;Arsenic album&lt;/em&gt; in 73.0% and &lt;em&gt;Bryonia alba&lt;/em&gt; in 17.6% of cases. Adjunctive Homoeopathy and standard care in COVID-19 patients had a promising role in the early relief of clinical symptoms and less progression into severity in the risk group of elderly patients with comorbidities. There were no reported adverse effects of taking the adjunctive Homoeopathy, making it a potential choice for integrated use in managing COVID-19 patients.

High Dilutions of Homeopathic Drugs Interact with Human Serum Albumin as Revealed by Electronic Spectroscopy

Homeopathy uses drugs in extreme dilutions that are mostly devoid of the original drug molecules. Drug-induced water structures are thought to be responsible for their therapeutic effect. We have already observed that homeopathic potencies first interact with serum albumin, which is present in the oral mucosa. In this experimental study, we have shown that the homeopathic potencies of three drugs, Bryonia alba (Br), Rhux toxicodendron (Rt), and Thuja occidentalis (Th), initiate their action on Human Serum Albumin (HSA). The potency-HSA complexation has been observed by electronic spectroscopy. The control, HSA plus water, shows only one peak at 216 nm, but the potencies plus HSA show two peaks, one at 205 nm and another around 265 nm. The first peak is due to the peptide bond. The first peak in the control shows a marked red shift. The second peak at higher wavelength is due to the aromatic amino acids. The first peak with the potencies shows a marked blue shift, possibly due to a change induced by the potencies on the peptide bond. Unlike water control the potencies interact with aromatic amino acids. It is evident that the complexes made up of HSA and potency are different from those of the control. This means that homeopathic potencies are not ordinary water. It is concluded that water control interacting with HSA shows a single peak in UV-spectra at lower wavelength, but homeopathic potencies show one additional peak at a higher wavelength besides the peak at the lower wave length. HDs can produce effects on aromatic amino acids. The mother tinctures and their HDs show marked differences from each other in their electronic spectra.

A Randomised Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of Homeopathic Medicines on Osteoarthritis

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders present worldwide. It increases with age and is prevalent among elderly people affecting their daily activities thus adding to the economic burden. Objectives This clinical study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of homeopathic medicines in the treatment of OA. Methods This single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, clinical trial was conducted on 90 patients suffering from OA. Each patient was randomised into an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). The IG (n = 60) received individualised homeopathic medicine (IHM) based on the symptom similarity of the case. The CG (n = 30) received an identical-looking placebo. Outcome assessment was done by assessing the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores at the baseline and after 3 months of follow-up. Paired t-test was used to determine differences between before and after treatment within groups. Results The difference in the WOMAC index score before and after treatment in the CG was found non-significant (p = 0.96), while in the IG the difference was statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05) at a 95% of confidence level. The most useful medicines indicated were Bryonia alba, Medorrhinum, Pulsatilla pratensis, Rhus toxicodendron, Arnica montana, Causticum and Sulphur. Conclusion Patients with OA reported a significant decrease in WOMAC index score after 3 months of homeopathic treatment based on the totality of symptoms.

Effectiveness of homoeopathy in treatment of cholelithiasis: A retrospective study

Cholelithiasis or Gallstone is a very common problem among worldwide. In developed countries gallstones occurs in 15:7 ratio among females and males, showing female predominance, and 11% of overall prevalence. Gastro Intestinal Quality of Life Index rating (GQLI) scale is a tool which assess the quality of life in patients those who are suffering with gastrointestinal symptoms. Homoeopathy is a unique system of medicine based on law of similars. It is a unique method of treatment which treats patients with individualization. Aims and Objective: Exploring the role of individualized homoeopathic medicines in treating cholelithiasis by using GIQLI rating scale. Study design: Retrospective study. Site: Patients who had visited Gastrointestinal Out Patient Department of National Homeopathy Research Institute in Mental Health, Kottayam, Sample size: 12 diagnosed cases of cholelithiasis with 12 follow-ups. Inclusion Criteria: Patients whohad diagnosed with cholelithiasis and having minimum 12 follow-ups were included inthis study. Discussion: Out of 12 patients enrolled for the study, 10 (83.33%) were female and 2 (16.67%) were male. Lycopodium clavatum was indicated in 4 patients (33%), followed by Nux vomica 3(25%), Bryonia alba 2 (16.5%), Sulphur 2 (16.5%), Calcarea carb 1 (9%).9 (75%) patients in our study. The study also showed a higher prevalence in female (83%) than in males (17%). Conclusion: Homoeopathic system of medicine treats the patient as a whole and not the disease, the totality of symptoms were considered in selection of medicine. The above study showed marvelous improvement which proves that homoeopathy is effective in treatment of cholethiasis.

A Retrospective Study on the Efficacy of Homoeopathic Medicines in the Treatment of Acute Rhinitis

Acute Rhinitis is estimated to affect more than 200 million people worldwide. Approximately 30% of adults and 40% of the children are affected with Rhinitis. The 30 cases diagnosed with Acute rhinitis were taken from the OPD of Sarada Krishna Homoeopathic Medical college and Hospital. Analysis of cases was based on the Acute totality and medicines were selected accordingly. 19 to 40 age groups are mostly affected. Females are most commonly affected. Bryonia alba was the most indicated medicine for Acute rhinitis. The 200th potency was the most prescribed potency. Duration of the treatment was minimum 1 day and maximum of 2 weeks. Most of the cases selected for the study shows significant improvement. Thus, Homoeopathic medicines are very much effective in the treatment of Acute Rhinitis.

Homeopathic treatment of COVID-19 caused by novel coronavirus SARS CoV2-a real-world experience

Background: The unprecedented healthcare challenge of COVID-19 uncovered a new set of challenges for therapy and management of infective conditions. The aim of the study was to established efficacy and safety homoeopathic medicines, which works on principles of similar symptomatology of the disease and the drug, individualization of therapy and hyper-attenuated prescriptions.Methods: The present study was a single centre, OPD based, prospective real-world, all-comer study that included 94 patients of COVID-19, diagnosed based on criteria advised by the Ministry of AYUSH).Results: In all, 94 all-comer, real-world patients of COVID-19 were included in the study, diagnosed on this basis of the MoH guidance criteria. All patients were symptomatic. The overall age of the patients was 40.98 ±19.98 years. Few patients [n=21 (16.84)] had comorbidities while a majority of patients [n=79 (83.16%)] had no notable comorbidity. All the patients were relieved to be asymptomatic in maximum 6 days. In the reversed calculation of Cohen’s D, indicated that the effect of therapy was significantly large. However, pertaining to the data volume, the effect size was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Individualized homeopathic medicine were effective in treatment of COVID-19. However, Bryonia alba and arsenic album were most commonly indicated medicines p overall &lt;0.0001 (Chi square for equal distribution of top 10). Another trend observation established that Bryonia alba was most commonly indicated and effective medicine; hence a potential homeopathic medicine for epidemic (genus: Epidemicus).

Searching for the Genus Epidemicus in Chinese Patients: Findings from the Clificol COVID-19 Clinical Case Registry.

The Clificol COVID-19 Support Project is an innovative international data collection project aimed at tackling some of the core questions in homeopathy. This paper reports on the further investigation of the genus epidemicus concept during the first wave of the pandemic in the Chinese population. The design is an observational clinical case registry study of Chinese patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The symptoms were prospectively collected via a 150-item questionnaire. The concept of genus epidemicus, including the role of treatment individualization, was investigated by analyzing whether presenting symptoms clustered into distinct groups. Two standard statistical analysis techniques were utilized: principal component analysis for extracting the most meaningful symptoms of the dataset; the k-means clustering algorithm for automatically assigning groups based on similarity between presenting symptoms. 20 Chinese practitioners collected 359 cases in the first half of 2020 (766 consultations, 363 prescriptions). The cluster analysis found two to be the optimum number of clusters. These two symptomatic clusters had a high overlap with the two most commonly prescribed remedies in these sub-populations: in cluster 1 there were 297 prescriptions, 95.6% of which were Gelsemium sempervirens; in cluster 2 there were 61 prescriptions, 95.1% of which were Bryonia alba. This is the first study to investigate the notion of genus epidemicus by using modern statistical techniques. These analyses identified at least two distinct symptom pictures. The notion of a single COVID-19 genus epidemicus did not apply in the studied population.

Test of a Homeopathic Algorithm for COVID-19: the Importance of a Broad Perspective.

Most of the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are covered by large repertory rubrics and hence many remedies have been proposed as "genus epidemicus". The aim of this study was to combine the information from various data collections to prepare a COVID-19 Bayesian mini-repertory/an algorithm-based application (app) and test it. In July 2021, 1,161 COVID-19 cases from 100 practitioners globally were combined. These data were used to calculate "condition-confined" likelihood ratios (LRs) for 59 symptoms of COVID-19. Out of these, 35 symptoms of the 11 medicines that had at least 20 cases each were considered. The information was entered in a spreadsheet (algorithm) to calculate combined LRs of specific combinations of symptoms. The algorithm contained the medicines Arsenicum album, Belladonna, Bryonia alba, Camphora, Gelsemium sempervirens, Hepar sulphuris, Mercurius solubilis, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla and Rhus toxicodendron. To test concordance, the doctors were then invited to re-enter the symptoms of their cases into this algorithm. The algorithm was re-tested on 358 cases, and concordance was seen in 288 cases. On analysis of the data, bias was noticed in the Merc group, which was therefore excluded from the algorithm. The remaining 10 medicines, representing 81.8% of all cases, were included in the preparation of the next version of the homeopathic mini-repertory and app. The Bayesian mini-repertory and app is based on qualitative clinical experiences of various doctors in COVID-19 and gives indications for specific medicines for common COVID-19 symptoms. It is freely available [English: https://hpra.co.uk/; Spanish: https://hpra.co.uk/es ] for further testing and utilization by the profession.

A retrospective study to show the effectiveness of homoeopathic medicine in bronchitis among children

Bronchitis is a sudden swelling in the major airways into the lungs, called bronchi. It is usually caused by a virus, but it can also be caused by breathing in things that irritate the lungs, such as tobacco smoke, fumes, dust, and air pollution. Bacteria sometimes cause bronchitis.Children are more prone to bronchitis and it accounts for about 25% of the OPD visits. Hence, this retrospective study is done to focus on the prevalence of bronchitis in children. A retrospective clinical study is done with 129 cases taken between July 2021 and December 2021 in the OPD of Sarada Krishna Homoeopathic Medical College. After a thorough study, it is evident that there is an increased prevalence of bronchitis in children and it has been treated based on totality of the symptoms.Much about acute bronchitis in children is uncertain even its definition. This study was undertaken to help build a clinical definition to serve as a guide for further research. Charts of 129 children 0 to 18 years old were reviewed. In a child with a cough bronchitis is more likely to be diagnosed if there is a history of sputum production Rales or rhonchi on examination and a past history of lower respiratory disease. Commonly used Homoeopathic medicines to treat bronchitis in children are Arsenicum album, Bryonia alba, Rhus toxicodendron, Pulsatilla, Antimonium tartaricum which showed their marked improvement in improving the sufferings of the children.

Balanced cytokine upregulation by diluted ethanolic extract of Bryonia alba in Delta SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein RBD-induced pathogenesis in Gallus gallus embryo

BackgroundBryonia alba extract is a well-known drug which is being utilized as phytomedicines and homoeopathic preparations since more than two centuries. This medicine is frequently used in clinical practice for flu-like conditions, respiratory tract infections, and gastrointestinal diseases, as evidenced by old literature and historical records. The plant contains Bryonicin, Bryonolic acid, Bryodin, Cucurbitacin, etc. The alkaloids in Bryonia alba have been discovered to be a powerful heme-oxygenase-1 inhibitor, which could help reduce oxidative stress during SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. During three waves of SARS-CoV-2, extracts of Bryonia alba were used; however, the actual scientific explanation for its mechanism of action is still unknown. In this experiment, we studied cytokine changes by diluted Bryonia alba extract in Delta SARS-CoV-2 spike protein RBD-induced pathogenesis, in fertilized chick (Gallus gallus domesticus) embryos.ResultsThe recombinant Delta SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein was inoculated in 14-day-old chick (Gallus gallus domesticus) embryos along with control, pre-, and post-treatment sets with diluted Bryonia extract. After 48 h, allantoic fluids were collected and stored at – 20 °C for study of different cytokines. Histological changes of the liver were also studied in each animal. Diluted Bryonia extract upregulated IFN-α and IL-10 markedly. In pre-treatment set, IFN-α, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-1β were markedly decreased, while in the post-treatment set IL-6, IL-10, IL-8, and TGFβ1 were significantly decreased, with a tendency of more anti-inflammatory surge than pro-inflammatory cytokines.ConclusionsThis experiment indicated an immunomodulatory role of diluted ethanolic extract of Bryonia particularly in the post-treatment set, decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines with beneficial effect.

Efficacy of individualized homeopathy as an adjunct to standard of care of COVID-19: A randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study

• A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of adjunct homeopathy with standard of care for COVID-19 was conducted on 300 patients. • Primary outcome on total symptom score measured over 10 days decreased significantly favoring Standard of care + Homeopathy. • Recovery was earlier in Standard of care + Homeopathy group by 02 days showing the added benefits of homeopathy. • Resolution of fever was 20 h earlier in Standard of care + Homeopathy. • Arsenicum album , Bryonia alba and Phosphorus were the most frequently prescribed medicines.

Fresh look at the concept of Genus Epidemicus: findings from the Clificol Project

Background: The Clificol® COVID-19 Support Project is an innovative international data collection project aimed at tackling some of the core questions in homeopathy, including the notion of Genus Epidemicus. Aims: To shed some light on the notion of Genus Epidemicus in the context of this infection. Going beyond that, the project aims to use these data to tackle more fundamental questions, such as the role of symptoms and rubrics in treatment individualisation. Methodology: This online multi-national data-collection project is supported by the ECH, ECCH, ICH, HRI, LMHI, and other professional associations. The collected data includes demographic information, severity, conventional diagnosis and treatment, presenting symptoms as well as the remedies prescribed. The outcome of treatment was tracked using the ORIDL scale. The concept of Genus Epidemicus, including the role of treatment individualisation, was investigated by analysing whether presenting symptoms cluster into distinct groups (K-Means clustering approach). The symptom data originating from China was obtained using a questionnaire. Results and discussion: 20 Chinese practioners collected 359 cases, primarily in the first half of 2020 (766 consultations, 363 prescriptions). The cluster analysis found two to be the optimum number of clusters. These two symptomatic clusters had a high overlap with the two most commonly prescribed remedies in that population: In cluster 1 there were 297 prescriptions, 95.6% of which were Gelsemium sempervirens, In cluster 2, there were 61 prescriptions, 95.1% of which were Bryonia alba. Under the assumption of a single genus epidemicus we would expect to see a single cluster of symptoms. The data from the Chinese population were not compatible with this assumption. Conclusion: This was the first study that investigated the notion of Genus Epidemicus by using modern statistical techniques. These analyses identified at least two distinct symptom pictures. The notion of a single COVID-19 Genus Epidemicus did not apply to this population.

Clinical characteristics based homeopathic Remedy Profiling of COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: The objective of the study was to recognize core symptoms associated with COVID-19 positivity, its impact on mental health of patients and to identify indicated homeopathic remedies for COVID-19. Methods: In this pilot study, 25 confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted at Dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH) established under Dr. D Y Patil Vidyapeeth campus took part in survey questionnaire entitled as “Health impact survey for clinical features and patient profiles of COVID 19: Based on Homoeopathic perspective” observed by three independent observers. Based on the survey, specificity and sensitivity of symptoms was analyzed by three independent physicians to perform remedy analysis in order to identify indicated homeopathic medicines for COVID-19 in mild to moderate cases. Results: A total of 25 patients were included in study. Out of 25, 16 patients did not have any co-morbidity while 9 patients had diabetes, blood pressure or thyroid as one of the co-morbidities. The mean age of the patients was 39.4 years ± 12.6 where mean age of patients without co-morbidity was significantly lower than the patients with co-morbidities. The major symptoms were found to be fever (76%), cough (76%), shortness of breath (72%), sore throat (56%), fatigue (80%), loss of smell (40%) and Loss of taste(48%). Likelihood ratio of a positive test was found to be higher for Loss of smell, Loss of taste and Cough. Mixed and contrasting responses were reported by the study subjects on mental health impact. Majority of patients showed mild negative impact on mental health. In remedy analysis total 6 homeopathic medicines were observed with most commonly indicated being Carbo vegetabilis (70.66%), Antimonium tartaricum (10.66%), Arsenic album (9.33%) and Bryonia alba Linn. (4%) in 30C potency. Conclusion: The observation from current study demonstrate that fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, loss of smell and Loss of taste are most common symptoms associated with COVID-19 and Carbo vegetabilis, Antimonium tartaricum, Arsenic album and Bryonia alba Linn. are most frequently indicated homeopathic medicines for COVID-19.

Effects of 200cH medications on mice bone marrow cells and macrophages

Paracelsus once wrote: "All things are poison and nothing is without poison, only the dose permits something not to be poisonous." Latter Hahnemann formulated the law of similars, preparations which cause certain symptoms in healthy individuals if given in diluted form to patients exhibiting similar symptoms will cure it. Highly diluted natural complexes prepared according to Hahnemann’s ancient techniques may represent a new form of immunomodulatory therapy. The lack of scientific research with highly diluted products led us to investigate the in vivo and in vitro actions of commonly used medications. Here we describe the results of experimental studies aimed at verifying the effects of Mercurius solubilis, Atropa Belladonna, Lachesis muta and Bryonia alba. All medications were at 200cH dilution. Animals were maintained for 7 days and were allowed to drink the medications, which were prepared in a way that the final dilution and agitation (200cH) was performed in drinking water. The medication bottle was changed and sucussed every afternoon. Co-culture of non treated mice bone marrow cells and in vitro treated peritoneal macrophages were also performed. After animal treatment the bone marrow cells were immunophenotyped with hematopoietic lineage markers on a flow cytometer. We have determined CD11b levels on bone marrow cells after culture and co-culture with treated macrophages and these macrophages were processed to scanning electron microscopy. We have observed by morphological changes that macrophages were activated after all treatments. Mercurius solubilis treated mice showed an increase in CD3 expression and in CD11b on nonadherent bone marrow cells after co-culture with in vitro treatment. Atropa Belladonna increased CD45R and decreased Ly-6G expression on bone marrow cells after animal treatment. Lachesis muta increased CD3, CD45R and, CD11c expression and decreased CD11b ex vivo and in nonadherent cells from co-culture. Bryonia alba increased Ly-6G, CD11c and CD11b expression ex vivo and when in co-culture CD11b was increased in adherent cells as well as decreased in nonadherent cells. With these results we have demonstrated that highly diluted medications act on immune cells activating macrophages, and changing the expression profile of hematopoietic lineage markers. Highly diluted medications are less toxic and cheaper than other commonly used medications and based on our observations, it is therefore conceivable that this medications which are able to act on bone marrow and immune cells may have a potential therapeutic use in clinical applications in diseases were the immune system is affected and also as regenerative medicine as it may allow proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells.

Plausibility of the implausible: is it possible that ultra-high dilutions ‘without biological activity’ cause adverse effects?

Plausibility of the implausible: is it possible that ultra-high dilutions ‘without biological activity’ cause adverse effects?

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

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. 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. 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. Overall, the trial was inconclusive. The possible effect exerted by Phosphorus necessitates further investigation. CTRI/2020/11/029265.