When did potentised gibberellic acid affect duckweed growth?

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Reproducibility is a challenge in basic homeopathy research. This study tested whether previously observed effects of homeopathically potentised gibberellic acid (GA3) on the growth of duckweed (Lemna gibba L.) could be reproduced.

Duckweed was grown in GA3 potencies of 14x–30x and in water controls that were either succussed once or not succussed. An area-related growth rate was measured using a computerised image analysis system. The researchers conducted three series, each containing five independent, blinded and randomised potency experiments (PE). They checked system stability with three series of five systematic negative control (SNC) experiments. In one series each of potency and SNC experiments, they investigated whether gibbosity, a specific growth state of L. gibba, might be essential to its response to potentised GA3.

A significant effect of the homeopathic treatment was observed only in the third series, with gibbous L. gibba (p = 0.009, F-test). However, growth rate increased, unlike in the earlier study, and most biologically active potency levels differed. Variability was lower in PE than in SNC experiments. The SNC experiments verified the stability of the experimental system.

The researchers concluded that gibbosity appears to be necessary for L. gibba to respond to potentised GA3. Other, still unknown conditions appear to govern the direction of the effect and which potency levels are active or inactive. They said the test organism’s physiological state must be considered when designing new reproducibility studies. Variability might also be worth investigating as a parameter for effects of homeopathic remedies in basic research.