Experiments for Detecting Differing Effects of Potency and Equally Concentrated Dilution

Author(s): Dittmann, J.

Abstract: Introduction: Acid phosphatase from potato catalyzes the formation of p-nitrophenolby splitting off the anorganic phosphate residue from p-nitrophenylphosphate. This dephosphorylation reaction was analyzed in the presence of two test substances. Objective: The main target of these investigations was to ascertain differences in the effects of homoeopathic potency and equally concentrated conventional dilution on the activity of this enzyme by Variation of assay conditions. Methods: As test substances cAMP and ubiquinone in the potency D8 and the dilution 10-8 were used. In the presence of these preparations the catalytic activity of acid phosphatase was determined by a spectrophotometric assay. Results: 1. When analyzing enzyme-catalyzed dephosphorylation reaction under standard conditions (time of incubation 5 min at 30'C) in the presence of cAMP and ubiquinone, respectively, it was found that both substances inhibited the catalytic activity of acid phosphatase. 2. While differing effects of homoeopathic potency and equally concentrated dilution of the test substance ubiquinone could be detected, in the case of cAMP such a difference - even when the time of incubation was varied - was not found. 3. After modification of the assay conditions (pre-incubation of the enzyme together with the agent for 20 min at 30'C) the homoeopathic potency D8 and the dilution 10-8 of cAMP differed in their impact upon enzyme-catalyzed substrate dephosphorylation. In the case of ubiquinone the difference already found under standard conditions could be enhanced. Conclusions: 1. With the help of a cell-free system it is possible to detect differing effects of potency and equally concentrated dilution. Thereby it is not only important to combine the 'right' enzyme system with the 'appropriate' agent, but to vary and modify the conditions of the assay system. 2. As the results show, parts of the basic research in homoeopathy can be presented independently of an intact organism.

Keyword(s): cAMP

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