Background Assignment of expiry date to homeopathic medicines is a subject of important concern to its pharmacists and practitioners. This study compares the regulatory framework for the expiry of homeopathic medicines in four countries: Brazil, Germany, India and the United States. Findings Different or no expiry periods are variously followed. Whereas Germany, with some exceptions, employs a maximum expiry of 5 years for both potencies and finished products, Brazil adopts a 5-year expiry for finished products only, potencies used in manufacture being exempted from an assigned expiry date. In India, all homeopathic medicines except dilutions and back potencies have a maximum of 5 years' shelf-life, including those supplied to consumers. In the United States, homeopathic medicines are exempted from expiry dates. Comments There is neither a rational basis nor scientific evidence for assigning a short (3–5 years) expiry period for homeopathic medicines as followed in some of the countries, particularly in light of the fact that some studies have shown homeopathic medications to be effective even after 25 years. Homeopathic ultra-dilutions seem to contain non-material activity that is maintained over time and, since these exhibit different chemical properties compared to the original starting material, it is quite possible they possess properties of longer activity than conventional medicines. Regulators should acknowledge this feature and differentiate expiry of homeopathic medicinal products from that of conventional drugs.
Background: Prevalence of Anemia is reported to be as high as about 90% in some segments of the population in India. Dharavi is arguably the largest slum in Asia. Due to its socioeconomic status, there is a possibility of malnutrition in this area. We have surveyed the area for the prevalence of anemia in Dharavi. Methods: The status was assessed with the help of Local Laboratories at Dharavi. Children from 5 to 15 years of age were surveyed from 7 different areas of Dharavi. Their name, age, gender, contact number and the hemoglobin level were collected in the survey and analysed based on WHO criteria of mild (11 – 11.4 g/ dL), moderate (8.1 – 10.9 g/dL) and severe anemia (<8g/dL) in primary school-age children (5-11 years), middle-school-age childhood (12-14 years) and secondary school-age childhood (15 years). Results & Discussion: There were 673 children surveyed. Kumbharwada had the highest number of subjects with 172 children. There were 380 male and 293 females. 324 children were from the primary school-age group, 255 from the middle-school-age group (12-14 years) and 94 from secondary school age childhood (15 years). Of the total 673 children, 363 children were non-anemic, and 310 children were anemic. There were 44, 91, and 41 children who were of mild anemic from the primary school-age group respectively, 77, 23and 16 children were moderate anemic from the middle-school-age group respectively, and 8, 6 and 4 children were severely anemic from the secondary school-age group respectively. Conclusion: Dharavi, one of the most populated localities in the world, has a significant number of children with anemia. Homoeopathic can be a possible solution for the same in addition to the appropriate supplement.
Introduction: The presence of heavy metals in higher quantity is a cause for concern in herbal medicines. Around 60-70% of homoeopathic medicines are manufactured using herbs. Herbs account for even more than 90% of the frequently used mother tinctures. There is a possibility of heavy metals transfer from herbs to the mother tincture during the manufacturing process. Objective: This study was conducted to find out the transmission of heavy metals from herbs to mother tinctures. Material and methods: 10 herbs have been identified based on the literature survey for the presence of heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium). Samples of both herbs and the mother tinctures made from them have been studied for the presence of heavy metals in mg/kg. Results & discussion: 8 out of 10 herbs were found to contain heavy metals. However, none of the homoeopathic mother tinctures prepared from these herbs has any trace of the presence of heavy metal. Even though mother tinctures are diluted 10 times and they may contain 1/10th of heavy metals present in the herbs, we could not find even 1/10th of the heavy metal in the mother tincture. This could be due to their insoluble nature in the solvents used. Perhaps all the heavy metals have been retained into the herbal residue. Conclusion: Heavy metals present in the studied herbs do not transport during the manufacturing of homoeopathic mother tinctures. Thus, these homoeopathic mother tinctures may be considered safe with respect to heavy metals.
Background: Hair loss, or alopecia, is a common disorder that affects between 0.2-2% of the world's population and have significant impacts on a person's mental and physical health. Normal hair loss on a healthy head is between 50 and 100 hairs a day. Alopecia is a disorder in which the follicles in certain people start losing hair prematurely because they are not healthy, increasing the pace at which hair falls. Alopecia can be caused by poor nutrition, chronic stress, genetics, or other factors, and there are several types, each with a unique cause and symptom. Apart from improving quality of life, using methods like hair treatments or transplants, many homeopathic herbal ingredients are reported useful in managing alopecia and hair fall. This study was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a formulation Zauberӧl® containing Arnica montana, Ceanothus americanus, Eclipta prostrata, Hibiscus Rosa sinensis, Jaborandi, Murraya koenigii, Sabal serrulata & Thuja occidentalis in testosterone-induced alopecia in Wistar rats.
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