Abstract
Objective:
This study was designed to evaluate the effects of weak-intensity extremely high frequency (EHF) microwaves in a model system—the plant organism pollen grain—lacking the placebo effect, available in large populations, to ensure accurate statistical analysis, and whose sensitivity is closely relevant to animal and human biology.
Design:
This study was blinded using anin vitro pollen germination technique.
Subjects and study interventions:
Pollen of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) was either directly irradiated or grown in a medium prepared with irradiated water, using a CromoStim 2000,® (PromoPharma, Republic of San Marino) designed for EHF microwave resonance therapy (MRT). It produces weak intensity EHF radiations (40-78 GHz), either continuous wave (cw) or modulated, at a 10 Hz-frequency, with infrared (IR) carried to 635-950 nm, and with an impedance (IPD) of 10-21 W/Hz cm2 and a power supply from 0 to 20 mW.
Outcome measurements:
Pollen-tube emergence was expressed as a percent of grains producing a tube and tube elongation was measured at 4 hours of incubation by a turbidimetric assay (A500) of cultures, expressed as the net absorbance increase over time 0.
Results:
At days 2 and 4 during aging, both percent of germination and tube growth significantly and consistently improved over controls in kiwifruit pollen grains irradiated for 30 minutes at day 0 at 10 Hz frequency with the CromoStim 2000. Highly significant effects, either stimulant or inhibitory, were also observed on kiwifruit pollen(stressed or not) growing in a medium prepared with water previously irradiated either cw or modulated. Irradiated water affected pollen germination immediately and even after several days following EHF treatment.
Conclusions:
Either direct or indirect EHF irradiation performed by the CromoStim 2000 is effective on pollen growth processes. In both cases, water seemed to play a primary role. According to the quantum electrodynamical coherence theory, our work could also have implications for homeopathy, suggesting a key to explain the efficacy of high dilutions and succussion procedures.
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