Lupine Publishers | Scholarly journal of Food and Nutrition
Abstract
Folic acid is vitamin B9, which is a
water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in cell growth, production
of DNA and replication. This study was aimed to determine the influence of the
Trivedi Effect® Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment on the various
physicochemical and thermal properties of folic acid by using the different
analytical techniques. The study was done by dividing the folic acid sample
into the control and treated parts; in which, no treatment was given to
control, while the treated part received the Consciousness Energy Healing
Treatment remotely by a renowned Biofield Energy Healer, Dahryn Trivedi. The
analysis indicated that the particle sizes of the treated sample were reduced
by 3.80% (d10), 5.18% (d50), 6.33% (d90), and 4.79% {D (4,3)}, respectively,
which resulted in the increase in surface area by 4.60% compared with the
control sample. The PXRD analysis indicated the changes in the peak intensities
of the characteristic peaks of the treated sample and their corresponding crystallite
sizes in the range from -45.76% to 277.50% and -87.55% to 15.88%, respectively,
in comparison to the control folic acid sample.
The treated sample also showed a
significant reduction in the average crystallite size by 19.37% compared with
the control sample. The weight loss of the treated sample was increased during
thermal degradation by 9.11% and therefore, the decreased residual mass by
36.56%, in comparison to the untreated sample. The DSC analysis of the treated
sample revealed the increase in melting and degradation temperature by 10.48%
and 7.32%, respectively; while the latent heat of fusion and decomposition were
reduced by 2.27% and 34.35%, respectively, compared to the untreated sample.
The overall study indicated that the Trivedi Effect®- Consciousness
Energy Healing Treatment has the significant impact of on the folic acid, which
might be used as a novel approach for introducing some new polymorph of folic
acid and thereby improving its solubility, bioavailability, and melting and
degradation profile in comparison to the untreated sample. Hence, the Trivedi
Effect® could be used as a useful approach in developing the
nutraceutical/pharmaceutical formulations of folic acid with improved
performance and efficacy.
Keywords:Folic Acid; Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment; The
Trivedi Effect®; PXRD; Particle Size; TGA; DSC
Introduction
Folic acid is a type of vitamin B
(vitamin B9) that is known for its water-solubility within the body. Its
natural active form is tetrahydrofolate i.e., its fully reduced form, in which
it serves as a 1-carbon donor during the purines and thymidine synthesis and in
the homocysteine to methionine remethylation cycle. Folate is considered
essential for normal cell growth, DNA production, and replication. Previous
studies reported its use by various enzymes as a co-factor such as a
thymidylate synthase and in folate homeostasis such as the reduced folate
carrier, folylpolyglutamate synthase [1,2]. Folates serves an important role of
a single carbon donor in various synthesis processes within the body such as
the synthesis of serine from glycine, nucleotides form purine precursors, as a
methyl donor to create methyl cobalamin i.e., further used in homocysteine to
methionine re-methylation, and indirect use in the synthesis of transfer RNA
[3].
The use of folic acid is also
evident in the cell development, metabolism of various specific biochemical
reactions within the body, as well as the metabolism of some specific
anticonvulsant drugs. Folic acid is known for its interrelationship with
vitamin B12 and its deficiency may increase the risk of neural tube defects
(NTDs) and hyperhomocystinemia, i.e., increased risk of cardiovascular disease
and NTDs [4]. Thus, to prevent its deficiency, oral folates are given to the patients
as supplements that are generally available in two forms, folic and folinic
acid. Folinic acid administration seems advantageous as it bypasses the steps
of deconjugation and reduction that are essential in folic acid metabolism.
Folinic acid is also considered more metabolically active, thus it may boost
the levels of the coenzyme forms of the vitamin in the case when folic acid has
little or no impact.
The therapeutic uses of folic acid
are that it could reduce the level of homocysteine in the body and therefore,
reduces the occurrence of neural tube defects; protects against neoplasia in
ulcerative colitis; prevents cervical dysplasia; helps in treating vitiligo;
and may help in increasing the resistance of the gingiva to local irritants
that reduces the inflammation. Besides, the folate deficiency may cause various
neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia-like syndromes, dementia,
insomnia, forgetfulness, irritability, endogenous depression, peripheral
neuropathy, organic psychosis, myelopathy, and restless legs syndrome, etc.
[5-8]. The physicochemical properties of any drug such as its solubility,
melting point, partition coefficient, etc. play a crucial role in its ADME
profile. Hence, various approaches have been used in this way to alter the
physicochemical properties of a drug to enhance its efficacy and biological
activities in the body [9]. In recent days, the Consciousness Energy Healing
Treatment is such an approach that is used by various scientists to modify the
properties of drugs in relation to improve their bioavailability [10- 13]. A
human has the ability to harness energy from the universe and can transmit it
to any living organism(s) or non-living object(s) around the globe.
The object or recipient always
receives energy and responds in a useful way. This process is known as the
Trivedi Effect® - Biofield Energy Healing Treatment [14,15]. The
concept of Biofield Energy Healing is currently used as an alternative
integrative approach that is widely accepted due to its ability to improve the
quality of life by correcting the root cause of the diseases [16-18]. In a
similar manner, the Trivedi Effect®- Consciousness Energy Healing
Treatment has been reported for its beneficial impact in the field of
antimicrobial activity [19-21], agriculture and productivity [22,23],
biotechnology [24,25], nutraceuticals [26,27], cancer research [28], bone
health [29], skin health [30], and for altering the properties of metals,
chemicals, ceramics and polymers [31-33], etc. This study was aimed to
establish the impact of the Trivedi Effect® on the physicochemical
and thermal properties of folic acid with the help of various analytical
techniques.
Materials and Methods
Chemicals
and Reagents
The primary test sample folic acid
was purchased from Alfa Aesar, USA and remaining chemicals were purchased in
India.
Consciousness
Energy Healing Treatment Strategies
The folic acid sample used in the
study was first divided into two parts and termed as the control and Biofield
Energy Treated sample based on the treatment. The control sample did not
receive the Biofield Energy Treatment, but the sample was treated with a “sham”
healer. The sham healer did not have any knowledge about the Biofield Energy
Treatment. Besides, the treated sample was received the Trivedi Effect®-Consciousness
Energy Healing Treatment by the renowned Biofield Energy Healer, Dahryn
Trivedi, USA, with her unique energy transmission process under standard
laboratory conditions for 3 minutes. After the treatment, both the samples were
kept in sealed conditions and characterized using sophisticated analytical
techniques.
Characterization
The particle size analysis (PSA) was
performed using Malvern Mastersizer 2000, from the UK using the wet method
[34,35]. The powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis of folic acid powder
sample was performed with the help of Rigaku MiniFlex-II Desktop X-ray
diffractometer (Japan) [36,37]. The average crystallite size of the folic acid
samples was calculated from XRD data using the Scherrer’s formula (1)
Where G is the crystallite size in
nm, k is the equipment constant, λ is the radiation wavelength, β is the
full-width at half maximum, and θ is the Bragg angle [38].
The thermal gravimetric
analysis/differential thermogravimetric analysis TGA/DTG thermograms of folic
acid were obtained with the help of TGA Q50 TA instruments. Similarly, the
differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of folic acid was performed
with the help of DSC Q200, TA instruments [39]. The % change of the treated
folic acid was calculated compared with the control sample using the following
equation 2:
Results and Discussion
Particle
Size Analysis (PSA)
The particle size analysis of the
treated sample was done and compared with the results of the control sample
(Table 1) to analyse the impact of the Biofield Energy Treatment on the
particle size distribution of the folic acid. The analysis indicated the
reduction in the particle size values of the treated sample by 3.80%, 5.18%,
6.33%, and 4.79% at d10, d50, d90, and D (4, 3), respectively, as compared to
the control sample.
The reduced particle size after the
Biofield Energy Treatment of the folic acid sample resulted in the increased
surface area as the SSA of the treated sample was found to be 1.82m2/g
that is increased by 4.60% in comparison to the control sample (1.74m2/g).
The particle size distribution of any drug plays a vital role in its
performance and efficacy within the body by directly affecting its solubility
and bioavailability [9,40]. The scientists already have been using the approach
of reducing the particle size of the drug in increasing the effective surface
area and thereby the dissolution and solubility of the drug [41]. Thus, it is
suggested that the treated folic acid sample might show better solubility,
dissolution, and bioavailability profile when used in formulation development
as compared to the untreated sample.
d10, d50, and
d90: diameter of the particles corresponding to 10%, 50%, and 90% of
the cumulative distribution, D (4,3): the average mass-volume diameter, and
SSA: the specific surface area.
The PXRD studies of the control and
treated samples were done and the corresponding diffractograms are given in
Figure 1. The diffractogram’s analysis indicated the crystalline nature of both
the samples due to the presence of sharp and intense peaks in the given figure
(Figure 1). The further analysis (Table 2) helps in determining any changes
between the control and treated sample in terms of the Bragg’s angles of the
peaks, their relative peak intensities and corresponding crystallite sizes of
the characteristic peaks. The study indicated the significant changes in the
Bragg’s angles of the peaks of the treated sample in comparison to the
characteristic peaks present in the diffractogram of the control sample. Also,
the treated folic acid sample showed changes in the relative peak intensities
and corresponding crystallite sizes in the range from -45.76% to 277.50% and
-87.55% to 15.88%, respectively, as compared to the control sample.
Besides, the average crystallite
size of the treated folic acid (138.25nm) also showed major alteration as it
was significantly decreased by 19.37% in comparison to the control sample
(171.46nm). The remarkable changes in the crystalline structure and crystal
morphology of drugs might occur due to the possible formation of a novel
polymorphic form of folic acid [42,43] after the Biofield Energy Treatment.
This presumption could be done based on the analysis that the peak intensities
and crystallite sizes of the treated folic acid sample were altered after the
Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment in comparison to the untreated sample.
Moreover, the novel polymorphic form of the compound may show better
bioavailability and drug efficacy profile [44]; thus, the treated folic acid
might be more bioavailable and effective as compared to the untreated sample.
Thermal
Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)/ Differential Thermogravimetric Analysis (DTG)
The thermal stability analysis of
the control and treated folic acid samples was done with the help of TGA/DTG
technique. The TGA thermograms of the control and treated samples are given in
Figure 2. Further analysis was done to analyse the differences between the
degradation profile of the control and the treated sample (Table 3). It
revealed that the treated sample showed increased weight loss by 9.11% during
the thermal degradation in comparison to the control sample. Such an increase
in the weight loss signifies the decrease in the residue weight of the treated
sample remaining after the degradation by 36.56%, compared to the control
sample. Thus, it showed that the treated folic acid sample showed increased
thermal degradation, compared to the control sample.
The DTG analysis of both the
samples, i.e., the control and treated folic acid samples showed four peaks in
the DTG thermograms (Figure 3), that represented the temperature at which
maximum thermal degradation has taken place. The analysis revealed that the
maximum thermal degradation temperatures (Tmax) corresponding to 1st
and 2nd peak in the treated sample was reduced by 0.75% and 2.07%,
respectively; while it was increased by 3.71% and 1.78% for the 3rd and 4th
peaks, respectively as compared to the control sample. Hence, it could be
suggested that the thermal degradation of the treated sample was reduced at
higher temperatures after the Biofield Energy Treatment in comparison to the
control folic acid sample. Thus, the overall analysis indicated the alterations
in the thermal degradation profile of the treated sample in comparison to the untreated
sample.
Differential
Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) Analysis
The DSC analysis of both the samples
i.e., the control and treated folic acid sample helps in studying and analysing
the differences in their thermal behaviour such as melting and crystallization
temperature etc. [45]. The previous studies reported that when folic acid was
heated, the “Glu” moiety will first break down at ~180°C, followed by the
degradation of pterin and PABA moieties. Afterward, when the sample was further
heated, it loses the amide and acid functionalities at ~195°C, and then the
crystalline folic acid degraded above 200°C in the form of the amorphous form
[46]. The DSC analysis of both the samples indicated the presence of two peaks
in their respective DSC thermograms (Figure 4). The first peak observed in the
thermograms of both the samples i.e., the control and treated sample was
endothermic in nature and denote the melting of the folic acid samples. The
analysis indicated the significant increase in the melting temperature of the
treated sample by 10.48%, while the corresponding ΔHfusion was
reduced by 2.27% as compared to the control sample (Table 4).
Moreover, the second peak observed
in the thermograms of both the samples is exothermic in nature that might
denote the sample degradation on further heating. It was observed that the
treated sample showed a significant increase in the degradation temperature by
7.32% compared with the control folic acid sample; however, the ΔHdegradation
was significantly reduced by 34.35% compared to the control sample (Table 4).
The DSC analysis indicated the improved stability of the treated folic acid
sample during heating, which might happen as a result of some possible
alterations in the crystallization structure [47] after the Biofield Energy
Treatment. Hence, it could be suggested that the treated folic acid sample
might be more thermally stable compared with the untreated sample.
Conclusions
The Trivedi Effect®-Consciousness
Energy Healing Treatment has been known previously for its significant effect
on the properties of various compounds. This study also concluded the impact of
the Biofield Energy Treatment on the physicochemical and thermal properties of
the folic acid sample. It revealed the remarkable alterations in the particle
size distribution of the treated sample i.e., the reduced particle size at d10,
d50, d90, and D (4,3) by 3.80%, 5.18%, 6.33%, and 4.79%, respectively in
comparison to the particle sizes of the control sample. Furthermore, the
treated folic acid sample showed an increased specific surface area by 4.60%
due to the reduced particle sizes compared with the untreated sample. The PXRD
studies indicated major changes in the relative intensities of the
characteristic peaks of the treated sample’s diffractogram along with the
corresponding crystallite sizes in the range from -45.76% to 277.50% and
-87.55% to 15.88%, respectively, compared with the untreated sample.
Besides, the Biofield Energy
Treatment might also alter the average crystallite size of the treated sample
that was significantly reduced by 19.37% as compared to the control sample. The
TGA analysis of the treated folic acid sample indicated the increased weight
loss during the thermal degradation by 9.11%; therefore, the residue weight
remaining after the degradation was observed to be decreased by 36.56%,
compared to the untreated sample. The DSC analysis suggested the significant
increase in the melting point and degradation temperature of the treated sample
as it was observed to be increased by 10.48% and 7.32%, respectively, compared
to the control sample. However, the enthalpy changes i.e., ΔHfusion and ΔHdegradation
was reduced by 2.27% and 34.35%, respectively compared with the enthalpy
changes of the control sample during the process.
The overall study showed that the
Trivedi Effect®- Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment might be
used as a new approach that might form a novel polymorphic form of the folic
acid with improved dissolution, solubility, and bioavailability along with
increased thermal stability as compared to the untreated sample. Thus, the
Trivedi Effect® Treated folic acid could be presumed as more
beneficial in the pharmaceutical/nutraceutical preparations for treating and
preventing various disorders such as, schizophrenia-like syndromes, dementia,
insomnia, forgetfulness, irritability, endogenous depression, peripheral
neuropathy, organic psychosis, myelopathy, and restless legs syndrome, eye
disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), allergic diseases, sleep
problems, osteoporosis, etc.
Acknowledgement
The authors are grateful to Central Leather Research Institute, SIPRA Lab. Ltd., Trivedi Science, Trivedi Global, Inc., Trivedi Testimonials, and Trivedi Master Wellness for their assistance and support during this work
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