Nanoparticle Characterization of Traditional Homeopathically-Manufactured Silver (Argentum Metallicum) Medicines and Placebo Controls

Abstract

This exploratory study characterized nanoparticles (NPs) in homeopathically-prepared silver medicine (Argentum Metallicum), succussed and unsuccussed control solutions. Methods included nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), zeta potentials, inductively-coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) for silver, and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis). Homeopathy is a 200 year-old traditional medical system using mineral, plant, and animal sources to treat patients. Debate over the efficacy of homeopathic medicines (HMs) stems from its unique manufacturing methods involving dry milling in lactose and/or serial dilutions and succussions (intense agitation) in water or water-ethanol solvent. The present study examined commercially-made, randomized and blinded verum Argentum Metallicum HMs and succussed solvent controls at 6C, 30C, and 200C potencies, and unsuccussed solvent (95% v/v ethanol) in corkstoppered glass vials. NTA revealed >2 × 10 8 NPs/ml in 20 of 21 samples, with extensive polydispersity. Verum NP characteristics differed significantly from controls: (a) Although Verum 200C exhibited the highest NP concentrations and exemplar transmission electron microscopy of one Verum 30C sample showed scattered silver-like dark NPs embedded in an organic matrix, ICP-MS could not reliably detect elemental silver at 1 ppb (lower limits of instrument detection); (b) verum NPs were significantly larger sized across potencies (91 nm) versus unsuccussed controls (53 nm); (c) zeta potentials of verum NPs (mean-44 mV) were significantly more negative than the unsuccussed controls (mean-20 mV); (d) succussed controls were intermediate in NP concentrations and sizes between verums and unsuccussed controls; (e) All samples showed UV-vis absorbance peaks near 200-350 nm wavelengths, consistent with organic cork extract. Taken together, the findings suggest polydisperse heterogeneous nanohybrid mixtures of silver, silica shell/ silver core, silica NPs, and perhaps cork exosomes, self-assembled and surface-stabilized by silica coatings, organic plant extract (cork), and/or lactose in verums. Glassware-derived silica from succussions may contribute NPs and coatings for nonlinear source signal amplification to initiate clinical effects.

Embryonic Zebrafish Model - A Well-Established Method for Rapidly Assessing the Toxicity of Homeopathic Drugs - Toxicity Evaluation of Homeopathic Drugs Using Zebrafish Embryo Model -

“…The physicochemical properties of homeopathic remedies show that they contain low, but measurable, amounts of NPs [5, 6, 20, 24]. Advancements in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology have resulted in countless possibilities for consumer product applications, many of which have already migrated from laboratory benches onto store shelves.…”

“…Furthermore, despite the wide differences regarding the amounts of dilution- from 30CH to 200CH, no significant differences in the shapes and the sizes of the particles from those in the original material were observed. In addition, recent studies indicated that homeopathically-prepared medicines (HMs) contain source NPs, silicates [5, 6, 11, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28], and other less well-characterized nanostructures. However, the TEM images in this study did not confirm that these NPs were NPs of the starting material.…”

“…Data reported encompassed the wavelength range from 190 to 1100 nanometers (nm) [20]. For the nanoform characterization of the homeopathic drugs, the sizes and the morphologies of the homeopathic drugs were determined by using field emission gun - transmission electron microscopy (FEG-TEM) (Tecnai G2, F30 magnification 58 X 1 million X (300 kV)).…”

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

“…Nanotechnology researchers have begun to recognize similarities between the traditional, crude, mechanical attrition manufacturing techniques of homeopathy and the top-down approaches for making nanostructures from insoluble source materials used in modern nanotechnology. 1,2,4 Previous publications by Demangeat 7,13 using NMR relaxation have revealed the involvement of nanobubbles in nanometric superstructures in high potentizations.…”

Nanoparticle characterization of HOMOEO AGROCARE (Agro Homeopathic Drug) by HRTEM and EDS analysis

“…Homeopathic ultra-high dilutions are used universally in the treatment of human, animal and plant diseases. Recent research publications of the author and many others demonstrated the presence of nanoparticles (NPs) in homeopathic ultra-high dilutions [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. As ultra-high dilutions (UHDs) demonstrated the potential in regulating the growth [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] and effectiveness in treating a variety of plant diseases [27][28][29][30][31][32], it is decided to characterize one of the commonly used homeopathic plant remedies in India particularly in the state of Kerala.…”