Physical, Thermal, and Spectroscopic Characterization of Biofield Energy Treated Potato Micropropagation Medium

What is it about?

Potato Micropropagation Medium (PMM) is the growth medium used for in vitro micropropagation of potato tubers. The present study was intended to assess the effect of biofield energy treatment on the physical, thermal and spectroscopic properties of PMM. The study was attained in two groups i.e. control and treated. The control group was remained as untreated, while the treated group was received Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment. Finally, both the samples (control and treated) were evaluated using various analytical techniques such as X-ray diffractometry (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis- differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), UV-Vis spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The XRD analysis showed the crystalline nature of both control and treated samples of PMM. The X-ray diffractogram showed the significant increase in the intensity of XRD peaks in treated sample as compared to the control. The XRD analysis revealed 6.64% increase in the average crystallite size of treated PMM with respect to the control. The DSC analysis showed about 8.66% decrease in the latent heat of fusion in treated sample with respect to the control. The TGA-DTA analysis exhibited about 4.71% increase in onset temperature of thermal degradation after biofield treatment with respect to the control, while the maximum thermal degradation temperature (Tmax) was also increased (5.06%) in treated sample with respect to the control. This increase in Tmax might be correlated with increased thermal stability of treated sample as compared to the control. The UV spectroscopic study showed the slight blue shift in λmax of treated sample with respect to the control. FT-IR spectrum of control PMM showed the peak at 3132 cm-1 (C-H stretching) that was observed at higher wavenumber i.e. at 3161 cm-1 in the treated sample. Other vibrational peaks in the treated sample were observed in the similar region as that of the control. Altogether, the XRD, DSC, TGA-DTA, UV-Vis, and FT-IR analysis suggest that Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment has the impact on physicochemical properties of PMM. This treated PMM might be more effective as a micropropagation medium as compared to the control.

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Why is it important?

Micropropagation is the technique of rapidly multiplying the stock plant material to generate a number of progeny plants, using advanced plant tissue culture methods [1, 2]. This method is used to multiply novel plants, such as genetically modified, bred of conventional plant, plants that do not produce seeds etc. [3, 4]. The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the vegetable plant belongs to Solanaceae family. Conventionally, potato is propagated using tubers that have low multiplication ratio of about 1:4 [5, 6]. The current progression in tissue culture techniques, specifically micropropagation led to a new method of propagation through in vitro techniques [7]. The micropropagation medium used for propagation of potato is termed as potato micropropagation medium (PMM). It contains ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate as the source of nitrate; kinetin and indole acetic acid as the plant growth regulators. Apart from this, it also consists with mineral salts, vitamins, and amino acids, which are required for the proper growth and development of propagated potato tuber [6, 8]. Despite lots of advantages of micropropagation technique, it is a costly approach and required extensive care at every step. Therefore, an alternate approach is required, which can enhance the nutrient value and propagation capacity of PMM used for potato micropropagation. Recently, biofield energy treatment has been studied in the several fields and reported as an alternate method for alteration of numerous properties of living organisms and non-living things [9, 10]. Biofield energy treatment is the part of energy therapy. The National Institute of Health/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH/NCCAM) considered the healing energy (putative energy fields) treatment under the subcategory of energy therapies [11]. These energy therapies (healing touch, magnet therapy, bio-electromagnetic therapy etc. involve low-level of energy field interactions [12]. The human body is an incredible biological quantum “machine” possessing the bioenergetics field that has incredible potential. The human bioenergetic field consisted with energy structures like bio-photon [13]. These energy structures contain information, which regulate and help all the system of human body to communicate and work coherently [14]. In the healthy condition, these biophotons are coherent and work with the natural frequencies of our body and the Earth. In diseased condition, these biophotons aren’t ordered, resulting in communication problems among our cells, organs, and energy systems [15]. It is evidently seen in the cancer cells that are so discordant with rest of the cells of the body, resulting in uncontrolled growth and endangering the survival of the body [16]. The practitioners of energy medicine manipulate and balance this bioenergetic field via harnessing the energy from the Universe [17]. Thus, the biofield energy treatment is the process in which, the human harness the energy from environment or universe and transmit to any living or nonliving object on the Globe. Mr. Trivedi is known to possess a unique biofield energy treatment, known as The Trivedi Effect®. Recently, Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment is reported to increase the overall growth of plants and quality and quantity of plant products like ginseng, blueberry, tomato, etc. even in the absence of pesticides and fertilizers [18, 19]. The biofield treated plants exhibited an early tendency of germination, rooting, and rapid maturation. The contents of chlorophyll (a and b), and total chlorophyll were also found increased in the treated plants as compared to the control [20]. Moreover, the biofield treatment has also reported to alter the physicochemical and spectral properties of organic products such as beef extract and meat infusion powder [21]. Hence, after considering the impact of biofield treatment, the present study was aimed to evaluate the impact of biofield treatment on the PMM. The analysis was done using various analytical techniques such as X-ray diffractometry (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), UV-Vis spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.

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