The potentisation process by which homeopathic preparations are produced raises the concern that these medicines have placebo effects only, since they theoretically no longer contain active molecules of the diluted substance. Plant models offer a method of examining the efficacy of homeopathically prepared solutions. This study examined the effects of homeopathically prepared gibberellic acid (HGA3) on the germination performance of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds. The effect of HGA3 (4-200 cH) on seed germination rate and seedling development was compared to that of the most commonly used form of gibberellic acid (GA3), 0.5 g l(-1), and control (distilled water). The extent and type of response was dependent on the vigour level of the seedlot. Treating seeds from three vigour groups in HGA3 consistently resulted in larger seedlings. High-vigour seeds treated with HGA3 4, 30 and 200 cH germinated faster, and roots of medium-vigour seedlots treated in HGA3 15 cH were longer. Biphasic effects of HGA3 were also demonstrated. As a plant model, germinating barley seeds successfully demonstrated the ability of HGA3 to produce a biological response.
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
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