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Comparative Clinical Evaluation of Bryonia Alba vs. Arsenicum Album in Acute Bronchitis: A Randomized Clinical Study

Dr. Vaibhav Vijaya Ravindra Mahajan; Dr. Sarvesh Umakant Tiwari; Dr. Aarti Gorakhnath Kanchar

Abstract

This randomized comparative study evaluated the clinical efficacy of Bryonia alba and Arsenicum album in the management of acute bronchitis. Eighty patients aged 20 to 60 years were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group A received Bryonia alba 30C, and Group B received Arsenicum album 30C, each administered thrice daily for seven days. Clinical assessment was done using a Bronchitis Symptom Score (BSS), including cough, sputum production, dyspnea, and fatigue. Mean BSS reduction was greater in the Bryonia group (78.4%) than in the Arsenicum group (71.2%), indicating a significant difference (p < 0.05). Both remedies were well tolerated without adverse effects. The study concludes that Bryonia alba is slightly more effective for dry, painful coughs with chest pain and less dyspnea, while Arsenicum album is preferable for restless and anxious patients with a burning sensation. Homoeopathy offers safe and symptom-specific management for acute bronchitis in community practice.

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Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. Volume 4 Issue 5 [SepOct] 2025 454 © 2024 Dr. Vaibhav Vijaya Ravindra Mahajan, Dr Sarvesh Umakant Tiwari, Dr Aarti Gorakhnath Kanchar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Research Paper Comparative Clinical Evaluation of Bryonia Alba vs. Arsenicum Album in Acute Bronchitis: A Randomized Clinical Study Dr. Vaibhav Vijaya Ravindra Mahajan 1*, Dr. Sarvesh Umakant Tiwari 2, Dr. Aarti Gorakhnath Kanchar 3 1 M.D. Homoeopathy HMM, P.G. Hom, London, UK, F.C.H. Dermatology. MUHS Nashik, Prof. and HOD Dept of Community Medicine Email: [email protected] 2 MD Homoeopathy Repertory, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Human Physiology, Dhanvantari H.M.C. & R.C. Nashik, Maharashtra, India Email: [email protected] 3 MD (Homeo) Practice of medicine Associate professor Sayli Ch. Trust Homeopathic College, Mitmita, Chh. Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, India Email: [email protected] Corresponding Author: *Dr. Vaibhav Vijaya Ravindra Mahajan DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17452426 Abstract Manuscript Information This randomized comparative study evaluated the clinical efficacy of Bryonia alba and Arsenicum album in the management of acute bronchitis. Eighty patients aged 20 to 60 years were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group A received Bryonia alba 30C, and Group B received Arsenicum album 30C, each administered thrice daily for seven days. Clinical assessment was done using a Bronchitis Symptom Score (BSS), including cough, sputum production, dyspnea, and fatigue. Mean BSS reduction was greater in the Bryonia group (78.4%) than in the Arsenicum group (71.2%), indicating a significant difference (p < 0.05). Both remedies were well tolerated without adverse effects. The study concludes that Bryonia alba is slightly more effective for dry, painful coughs with chest pain and less dyspnea, while Arsenicum album is preferable for restless and anxious patients with a burning sensation. Homoeopathy offers safe and symptom-specific management for acute bronchitis in community practice. ▪ ISSN No: 2583-7397 ▪ Received:06-08-2025 ▪ Accepted: 25-09-2025 ▪ Published: 27-10-2025 ▪ IJCRM:4(5); 2025:454-456 ▪ ©2025, All Rights Reserved ▪ Plagiarism Checked: Yes ▪ Peer Review Process: Yes How to Cite this Manuscript Mahajan VVR, Tiwari SU, Kanchar AG. Comparative clinical evaluation of Bryonia alba vs. Arsenicum album in acute bronchitis: a randomized clinical study. Int J Contemp Res Multidiscip. 2025;4(5):454-456. Access this Article Online www.multiarticlesjournal.com KEYWORDS: Homoeopathy, Acute Bronchitis, Bryonia alba, Arsenicum album, Randomized Comparative Study Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. Volume 4 Issue 5 [SepOct] 2025 455 © 2024 Dr. Vaibhav Vijaya Ravindra Mahajan, Dr Sarvesh Umakant Tiwari, Dr Aarti Gorakhnath Kanchar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 1. INTRODUCTION Acute bronchitis is a common respiratory infection affecting nearly 5% of adults annually, often linked to seasonal viral triggers. Allopathic treatment relies mainly on symptomatic relief and antibiotics, leading to drug resistance and adverse effects. Homoeopathy, based on individualization and totality of symptoms, offers an effective alternative. Among homeopathic remedies, Bryonia alba and Arsenicum album are frequently prescribed for bronchial inflammations. However, comparative clinical data on their efficacy remain limited. This study aims to compare their effectiveness in reducing clinical symptoms and improving recovery time in acute bronchitis cases. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Design: Randomized, prospective, comparative clinical trial Study Setting: Dr. Mahajan’s Homoeopathic and Ayurvedic Panchakarma Center, Nashik Duration: October 2024 – March 2025 Sample Size: 80 patients (40 per group) Inclusion Criteria: Adults (20–60 yrs) with acute bronchitis < 7 days’ duration. Exclusion: COPD, asthma, tuberculosis, and antibiotic usage. Randomization: Simple random sampling using sealed envelopes. Intervention: Group A – Bryonia alba 30C, 3 drops TDS for 7 days. Group B – Arsenicum album 30C, 3 drops TDS for 7 days. Assessment Tools: Bronchitis Symptom Score (BSS) rating 0–4 for each symptom (cough, sputum, dyspnea, chest pain, fatigue). Ethical Approval: Dhanvantari Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Nashik (Approval No. DHMCH/CM/IEC/2025/04). Statistical Analysis: Paired t-test and ANOVA using SPSS v23. RESULTS Parameter Group A (Bryonia alba) Group B (Arsenicum album) p-value Mean BSS (Pre-treatment) 12.8 ± 2.4 12.6 ± 2.1 > 0.05 (NS) Mean BSS (Post Day 7) 2.8 ± 1.1 3.6 ± 1.3 < 0.05 (S) % Symptom Reduction 78.4% 71.2% — Mean Recovery Time (days) 5.2 ± 1.3 6.1 ± 1.5 < 0.05 (S) Both groups showed significant improvement (p < 0.001) from baseline; however, Bryonia alba demonstrated faster symptom resolution and better tolerance. No adverse events were reported. 4. DISCUSSION The study demonstrates clinically significant improvement with both Bryonia alba and Arsenicum album in acute bronchitis. Bryonia was more effective for dry, painful cough and pleuritic chest pain, while Arsenicum album worked better for patients with restlessness, anxiety, and burning in the chest. These findings corroborate the Materia Medica differentiation and previous observational studies by CCRH (2021) on Homoeopathic respiratory care. The absence of adverse effects supports the safety of both remedies. Future multicenter trials with larger samples and placebo controls are recommended to validate these results. 5. CONCLUSION Both Bryonia alba and Arsenicum album are effective in managing acute bronchitis symptoms, but Bryonia alba shows a slightly superior response in dry cough with chest pain cases. The findings reinforce Homoeopathy’s clinical relevance in respiratory infections and encourage integration into primary care settings. 6. Proof and Documentation Data Source: Clinical records from Dr. Mahajan’s Homoeopathic Centre (Nashik) Data Authenticity: Verified by the Department of Community Medicine Statistical Tool: SPSS v23, 95% Confidence Interval REFERENCES 1. Park K. Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 27th ed. Jabalpur: Banarsidas Bhanot; 2023. 2. Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH). Clinical Evaluation of Homoeopathic Drugs in Respiratory Ailments. New Delhi: CCRH Press; 2021. 3. Banerjee DD. Principles and Practice of Homoeopathic Therapeutics. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 2021. 4. Mahajan VVR. Community Medicine and Modern Homoeopathy: Field Insights for Undergraduate Learning. Nashik: Unpublished manuscript; 2025. 5. Banerjee A, Pathak S. Homoeopathic management of acute bronchitis: A comparative study of Bryonia and Arsenicum album. Indian J Res Homoeopathy. 2020;14(3):155–62. 6. Oberai P, et al. Homoeopathic intervention in acute respiratory infections in children: A randomized placebocontrolled trial. Homeopathy. 2015;104(2):145–52. 7. Rossi E, Crudeli L. Bryonia in viral respiratory infections: A clinical evaluation. Complement Ther Med. 2018; 37:59– 64. Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. Volume 4 Issue 5 [SepOct] 2025 456 © 2024 Dr. Vaibhav Vijaya Ravindra Mahajan, Dr Sarvesh Umakant Tiwari, Dr Aarti Gorakhnath Kanchar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 8. Arsenicum Album – Clinical effectiveness in acute respiratory tract infections. J Evid Based Integr Med. 2021. 9. Ministry of AYUSH. Advisory for using Arsenicum album 30 as prophylaxis in respiratory viral infections. Government of India, 2020. Creative Commons (CC) License This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. About the author Dr Vaibhav Vijaya Ravindra Mahajan is an accomplished scholar and medical professional holding an M.D. in Homoeopathy (HMM), P.G. in Homoeopathy from London, U.K., and F.C.H. in Dermatology from MUHS, Nashik. He serves as Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine, contributing extensively to education, research, and clinical practice in Homoeopathic and community health sciences. Dr. Sarvesh Umakant Tiwari, M.D. (Homeopathy – Repertory), serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Physiology at Dhanvantari Homeopathic Medical College & Research Centre, Nashik, Maharashtra, India. He is dedicated to advancing medical education and research in homeopathy, emphasizing holistic health, repertory studies, and integrative physiological understanding. Dr. Aarti Gorakhnath Kanchar, M.D. (Homeopathy – Practice of Medicine), is an Associate Professor at Sayli Charitable Trust’s Homeopathic College, Mitmita, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, India. She is committed to promoting excellence in homeopathic education, clinical practice, and research, focusing on holistic patient care and evidence-based medical training.