Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) along with the Vinayaka  Mission's Homoeopathic Medical College, Salem have proved that homoeopathy dilutions contain nanoparticles. The researchers are hoping that with this finding, homoeopathic dilutions may well be considered as  a nanomedicine.

The study by Dr ES Rajendran, director of Vinayaka  Mission's Homoeopathic Medical College, Salem, done at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), Indian Institute of Science, has conclusively proved that homoeopathy dilutions contain nanoparticles.

The two-year-long research study in the CeNSE lab was conducted using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS).

“Our study conclusively proves the presence of nanoparticles in all the high dilutions of homoeopathic drugs. Carbo Vegetabilis 6C to CM potencies were analysed and studied at the CeNSE lab. The analysis conclusively shows the presence of nanoparticles of the original material carbon in all the high dilutions,” said  Dr  Rajendran, who will present the study at the two-day World Homoeopathy Summit to be held at Mumbai from April 11, 2015.

“Critics have been arguing that homoeopathic medicines do not contain any material worth its name and they are ‘medicines without medicines’. But now with this study, it is established that homoeopathic dilutions have nanoparticles which  may open up vistas for advanced research into their functionalities, he added.

“Similarly, drugs like Lycopodium and Psorinum were also studied under the FESEM and EDS machines in IIS lab with the similar result. Medicines prepared from plant sources and organic substances are currently  being studied in the lab,” said Dr Rajendran.

In another pioneering two-year long study,  Mumbai-based homoeopath Dr Rajesh Shah has developed a new medicine for AIDS, sourced from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) itself. The drug has been tested on humans for safety and efficacy and the results are encouraging. Dr Shah’s scientific paper for debate has just been published in Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy (IJRH), Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) in its online edition

Several research  studies will be presented at the two-day World Homoeopathy Summit  organised by Global Homoeopathy Foundation (GHF) along with Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), to be held at Mumbai from April 11, 2015. Scientists and doctors from across the world will participate.

According to  Dr Sreevals Menon, NGO’s managing trustee, GHF, Homoeopathy is an alternative system of medicine well known for its in curing variety of diseases. The most contentious point about homeopathy has been about the scientific nature of its high dilutions, which  mathematically represented is  well above the Avogadro's number and hence being treated as placebo solutions. This created lot of confusions amongst scientific community and patients which led to  misconceptions about homoeopathy.

The IIS study will, hopefully, settle forever the controversies about the nature of drug material in the homoeopathic drugs.  With the finding that homoeopathic dilutions are filled with nanoparticles, this branch of medicine may well be considered as  a nanomedicine, noted Dr Menon.