The effect of homoeopathically prepared dilutions of gibberellic acid on the germination of barley seed (Hordeum vulgare L.) as measured by a germination index

Abstract

The potentisation process during which homoeopathic preparations are produced, raises the concern that these remedies have a placebo effect, since they contain no active molecule of the substance used to prepare them (in ultra high dilutions) by the time they are administered to a patient. Plant models therefore offer a more direct method of examining the efficacy of homoeopathically prepared solutions. This study investigated the effects of homoeopathic preparations of gibberellic acid on the germination of barley seeds (Hordeum vulgare L.) as measured by a germination index. The effects of GA3 at potencies of 4cH, lScH, 30cH and 200cH on germination rate and seedling development were tested on barley seeds of high-, medium- and low- vigour. The index used comprised the rate at which seeds germinated, which was the time it took for 50 percent of those seeds that did germinate, to germinate (i.e. Tso); seedling development experiments as assessed by taking final germination counts 7 days after start of imbibition, shoot and root lengths, and seedling dry mass. Biological activity of homoeopathically prepared GA3 at lScH was evident in medium vigour seeds, since this treatment resulted in significantly long root development. Highvigour barley seeds imbibed in GA3 (0.5 g L\xB7l ) were found to germinate the fastest of all treatment groups, and high-vigour seeds imbibed in homoeopathically prepared GA3 at 4cH, 30cH and 200cH, germinated faster than those seeds not receiving GA3 in any form (the control). Amongst high-vigour seeds, prior imbibition with homoeopathically