Anti-candidal activity of homoeopathic drugs: An in-vitro evaluation

Authors

Girish Gupta, Medical Mycology Lab, Gaurang Clinic and Centre for Homoeopathic Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
A Srivastava, Medical Mycology Lab, Gaurang Clinic and Centre for Homoeopathic Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Naveen Gupta, Medical Mycology Lab, Gaurang Clinic and Centre for Homoeopathic Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Gaurang Gupta, Medical Mycology Lab, Gaurang Clinic and Centre for Homoeopathic Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Sunil Mishra, Medical Mycology Lab, Gaurang Clinic and Centre for Homoeopathic Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Keywords

Antifungal, Candida albicans, homoeopathic drugs, In-vitro inhibitory activity

Article Type

Original Article

Abstract

Background: Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogenic fungus accounting for up to 75% of all candidal infections in human beings. Generally Candida grow and survive as commensals but slight modification of the host defense system can transform Candida albicans into a pathogen. Materials and Methods: Samples collected from the oral cavity and tongue of the patients suspected of suffering from oral candidiasis were incubated for growth of Candida. Fermentation and assimilation test confirmed the species as Candida albicans. Disc method was used to assess the in-vitro anti-candidal effect of few homoeopathic drugs in 30 and 200 potencies against human pathogenic Candida albicans under in-vitro conditions and compared with standard antifungal drug ketoconazole (control), rectified spirit (control/vehicle) and distilled water (vehicle) by "inhibition zone technique". Results: Homeopathic drugs namely Acid benzoicum, Apis mellifica, Kali iodatum, Mezereum, Petroleum, Sulphur, Tellurium, Sulphur iodatum, Graphites, Sepia, Silicea and Thuja occidentalis in 30 and 200 potencies were tested against Candida albicans. Mezereum in 200 and 30 potency showed maximum inhibition of growth of Candida albicans followed by Kali iodatum 200 while Kali iodatum 30 and Petroleum 30 had minimum inhibition. Conclusion: The results of these experiments support the concept of "evidence based medicine" depicting that homoeopathic medicines not only work in in-vivo but are equally effective in in-vitro conditions having definite inhibitory activity against Candida albicans.

Digital Object Identifier

10.4103/0974-7168.159522

Publisher

Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd.

How to cite this article

Gupta G, Srivastava A, Gupta N, Gupta G, Mishra S. Anti-candidal activity of homoeopathic drugs: An in-vitro evaluation. Indian J Res Homoeopathy 2015;9(2):79-85. doi: 10.4103/0974-7168.159522