Distinct antimicrobial activity of different potencies of homeopathic medicine zincum oxydatum

From ancient times zinc and its different compounds have been used extensively in various fields of medicine and industry. Since nanoparticles of zinc oxide are used topically in skin ointments homeopathic medicine zincumoxydatum was selected to determine its antimicrobial action. Several homeopathic practitioners claim that this drug is active in treating various abdominal disorders. Dilutions of zincumoxidatum were tested for their in vitro antimicrobial properties against 14 bacteria and two fungi. The strains were of human origin and obtained from international centres. Agar dilution technique was followed to determine the potentiality of the drug.
The Gram positive bacteria were Bacillusspp, Staphylococcus spp. The Gram negative organisms included E.coli, species of several members of Enterobacteriaceae and the notoriously virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All the test bacteria grew luxuriantly in the 6C dilution of zincumoxydatum. However, all these organisms except Pseudomonas aeruginosa BVC 2 were totally inhibited at higher dilutions of the drug, 30C and 200C. A greater inhibitory action of the drug was noted with fungi since both of them failed to grow even at the dilution of 6C.
Zincumoxydatum proves to be a truly potent antimicrobial agent and the concept of nanoparticles in homeopathic medicine is corroborated in this investigation as higher dilutions provided greater antimicrobial action of the compound.