Effect of Homeopathic Medicines and a Nosode on Larvae of Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract

Background Cochliomyia hominivorax is the major fly causing primary myiasis in livestock animals in Brazil; its larvae develop in the host's living tissues, causing mutilations, which can even lead to death. In conventional treatments of myiasis, chemo-synthetic insecticides have been employed directly on larvae present in the wounds. Homeopathy may represent a healthy and sustainable alternative both to prevent and to treat myiasis in animals and humans. The current study evaluated how the emergence of adult insects is affected by the use of the homeopathic medicines Sulfur 12cH and Pyrogenium 12cH, and the nosode produced from C. hominivorax larvae at potencies 8cH and 12cH, on third-stage larvae of a C. hominivorax colony. Materials and Methods The homeopathic medicines and the nosodes were produced according to the Brazilian Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia. Control groups were distilled water, alcohol, no substance, and the organophosphate insecticide trichlorfon. For each group, 10 replicates were performed. Emergence rate of adult insects was evaluated by descriptive statistics followed by analysis of variance. Homogeneity of variances was verified by F-test and group means were compared with Tukey's test. Results Mortality rates in control groups were 2.7% for 30% (v/v) alcohol, 4.3% for distilled water, 3.2% for no substance (p > 0.05). In the trichlorfon group, the mortality rate of larvae was 90.8%. For Sulfur 12cH, the mortality of larvae was 94.6%, and for Pyrogenium 12cH it was 98.6%. The latter three means were not statistically different from each other or from the mean found for the trichlorfon group. The mortality rates of larvae were 61.3% and 66.6% for nosode C. hominivorax 8cH and 12cH, respectively (p > 0.05). Conclusions Results suggest that homeopathy could be used therapeutically to prevent and treat animals and humans with myiasis caused by C. hominivorax.

Effect of Ointments of Sulphur or Pyrogenium on Larvae of Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

“…The results of this test suggest that the homeopathic medicines had an inhibitory effect on C. hominivorax larval development, even though it was slightly less intense than the rates obtained when the medicine was handled in a hydroalcoholic solution at 30% (v/v). 11 Any highly organized system reacts to stress, always producing the best possible response it is capable of at the time. In humans and vertebrate animals, this means that the defense mechanism offers the best possible response to the pathogenic stimulus, according to the current state of health and to the intensity of stress.…”

“…The C. hominivorax larvae used in the tests of the groups “ Sulphur 12cH prepared in sterile water”, “ Pyrogenium 12cH prepared in sterile water” and “alcoholic vehicle of ointments” were obtained from a laboratory colony, according to the methods explained by Barros et al 11 The colony of C. hominivorax is sited in the Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of the UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. The colony is composed of a group of approximately 300 adult insects in one cage of 35 × 35 cm 2 in a room at controlled ambient temperature (33 ± 3°C) and humidity (60 ± 5%).…”

“…With minor modifications, the tests performed in this study were based on the methods of Barros et al 11 The contact test consisted of evaluating the effect of direct contact between medicines as ointment (homeopathic preparations) and healthy third-stage larvae (L3) of C. hominivorax on the emergence of adult insects. The L3 were deposited on filter paper in glass containers (9 cm height and 4 cm diameter), which received a group of 10 wild larvae or 15 laboratory larvae each.…”

“…These specimens were handled following all the welfare guidelines for laboratory specimens in Directive 2010/63 / EU. The propagation occurred according to the methods for maintenance in the laboratory of dipterans of this species, presented by Barros et al 11…”

“…10 These medications have shown individually in-vitro effects on larvae of this Diptera. 11 However, the test performed in that study used the drugs in their hydroalcoholic form and used specimens of dipterans solely from a laboratory colony maintained under artificial conditions. Thus, the present study evaluated the effect of two homeopathic medicines ( Pyrogenium or Sulphur ), individually prepared in the pharmaceutical form of ointment, on wild larvae of C. hominivorax obtained from myiasis of sheep, to verify whether the effect would be repeated in a situation closer to the actual challenge of the treatment of myiasis.…”