The placebo effect

Antimalarial potential of China 30 and Chelidonium 30 in combination therapy against lethal rodent malaria parasite: Plasmodium berghei

Homeopathy 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% chemosuppression 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 antiplasmodial efficacy of the combination of these homeopathic drugs against Plasmodium berghei.

Effect of artesunate based combination therapy with homeopathic medicine china on liver and kidney of Plasmodium berghei infected mice

Present study has been undertaken to evaluate antimalarial potential and safety of artesunate based combination therapy with homeopathic medicine china (ϕ/30 potency) against Plasmodium berghei (NK-65), a lethal rodent malaria parasite. In combination therapy, the oral administration of artesunate (100 mg/kg) + china ϕ/30 proved to be highly efficacious as it completely cleared the blood stage infection. During the follow up period up to day 28, no recrudescence was observed and the survival rate was 100 %. Combination did not disturb the normal functioning of liver and kidney, as evident from the normal activity of ALP (190.5 ± 0.2 and 174.2 ± 9.12 IU/l), level of bilirubin (0.6 ± 0.33 and 0.73 ± 0.1 mg/dl), urea (28 ± 0.51 and 29.1 ± 0.03 mg/dl) and creatinine (0.9 ± 0.62 and 1.1 ± 0.1 mg/dl) in serum of treated mice on day 7 and 28 respectively. Present study points to better efficacy of china as an alternative drug partner in combination to enhance antimalarial efficacy of artesunate without affecting the liver and kidney functions of P. berghei infected BALB/c mice.