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Schwabe News Volume 4 | Issue 6 | June 2013

Research news

Antimalarial potential of China 30 and Chelidonium 30 in animal model

Homoeopathy is a therapeutic method based on the application of similia principle, utilizing ultra-low doses of medicinal substances made from natural products. The present study has been designed to evaluate the efficacy of Cinchona officinalis (Chin.) 30C and Chelidonium majus (Chel.) 30C in combination therapy against lethal murine malaria. Five groups having twelve BALB/c mice each were administered orally with 0.2 ml/mouse/day of different drugs, and their antimalarial potential was evaluated by Peter’s 4-day test. The combination of Chin. 30 and Chel. 30 exhibited complete parasite clearance by the 28th day post-inoculation which was similar to the positive control [artesunate (4 mg/kg)+sulphadoxine-primethamine (1.2 mg/kg)] group. Both the groups exhibited enhanced mean survival time (MST) 28±0 days,whereas, the mice of infected control group survived up to 7.6±0.4 days only. The preventive and curative activities of the combination in comparison to the positive controls [pyrimethamine (1.2 mg/Kg) and chloroquine (20 mg/Kg), respectively] were also evaluated. The combination had a significant preventive activity (p<0.0005), with 89.2% chemo suppression which was higher than the standard drug, pyrimethamine (83.8%). It also showed a moderate curative activity with complete clearance of parasite in 50% of surviving mice, and enhancing the MST of mice up to 26.8±2.8 days. These findings point to the significant anti-plasmodial efficacy of the combination of these homoeopathic drugs against Plasmodium berghei.

Reference:

• Rajan A, Bagai U., Antimalarial potential of China 30 and Chelidonium 30 in combination therapy against lethal rodent malaria parasite: Plasmodium berghei., Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, 2013 May 7;10(1):1-8.

Ameliorating effect of mother tincture of Syzygium jambolanum on carbohydrate and lipid metabolic disorders in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat: Homoeopathic remedy

Syzygium jambolanum (S jambolanum) is widely used in homoeopathy for treating patients with diabetes mellitus. In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the remedial effect of homoeopathic drug S jambolanum on carbohydrate and lipid metabolic disorders on streptozotocin induced diabetic rat. Diabetes induction in Wistar strain rat was performed as per standard method using streptozotocin at the dose of 4 mg/100 gm body weight. Activities of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes in hepatic tissue, and glycogen content in hepatic and muscular tissues were assessed biochemically following the standard protocols. Serum lipid profile level and activities of GOT and GPT in serum were measured as per standard method using specific kits. The homoeopathic drug, mother tincture of S jambolanum significantly decreased fasting blood glucose levels and improved carbohydrate metabolic key enzyme activities in hepatic tissue i.e., hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphatase in diabetic rats. Alongside, serum lipid profile biomarkers i.e., triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLc) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) levels were significantly ameliorated in homoeopathic drug supplemented diabetic animals in compared with the untreated diabetic animal. Side by side, the S jambolanum has the capacity to attenuate diabetes induced hepatic injury in model animal, which has been assessed here by the recovery of GOT and GPT activities in serum of drug treated diabetic animal. The result of the present study indicated that the homoeopathic drug S jambolanum (mother tincture) has a protective effect on diabetic induced carbohydrate and lipid metabolic disorders in STZ-induced diabetic animal.

Reference:

• Maiti S, Ali KM, Jana K, Chatterjee K, De D, Ghosh D., J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2013 Jan;4(1):68-73. doi: 10.4103/0976-9668.107263.

Homoeopathy in chronic tension-type headache on scientific parameters

Homoeopathy is used for headache and migraine in general practice. The authors designed this clinical trial in a way that would not change the individualisation based practice pattern of homoeopathic physicians. The purpose of the study was to explore individualised homoeopathic treatment used in general practice for chronic tension type headache (CTTH). Chronic tension-type headache is a tension-type headache that occurs on most days, or on every day. The study was a multicentre, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial with blinded assessment. One hundred twenty seven participants with CTTH were randomly assigned to homoeopathy or to usual care. Number of headache attacks, duration of pain, pain intensity on visual analog scale, use of medication and resources were recorded through headache diary at 4 weeks run-in-period (baseline), at week 17 post interventions, and end of follow up at week 29. An observer blind to the patients’ treatment allocation carried out assessments. As per the result, headache frequency and intensity was lower in the homoeopathy group than in controls after intervention (p<0.05) and at follow up (p<0.001). The pain duration was shortened slightly after the intervention period reached to significance level at follow up. In homoeopathy group headache parameters decreased at post intervention compared with baseline and continued to decrease slightly in follow up period. The overall evaluation of the 2 treatments indicated improvements in both the treatment but later only homoeopathy group showed consistent change. Compared with usual care, patients randomised to homoeopathy used 35% less medication (P = 0.001) and had 45% fewer visits to general practitioners (P = 0.0001). The results indicate that homoeopathy could have clinically relevant benefits for patients with chronic tension type headache.

Reference:

• N. Sharma, A. Ameta & S. Sharma, Effect of homeopathy on chronic tension-type headache: a pragmatic, randomised controlled single blind trial, The Journal of Headache & Pain 2013, (Suppl 1):P56 doi:10.1186/1129-2377-1-S1-P56. Available online at www.thejournalofheadacheandpain.com/content/1/S1/P56

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