Solid State Characterization for a Comparative Evaluation of the Biofield Energy Treated and Un-treated Ascorbic Acid

Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin that mainly acts as an antioxidant and helps in controlling and maintaining various body functions. The study was designed to analyze the impact of the Trivedi Effect^®-Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment on the physicochemical and thermal properties of ascorbic acid by using sophisticated analytical techniques. For the study, the test sample ascorbic acid was divided into the control and treated sample. To the control sample, no Biofield Energy Treatment was provided. However, the treated sample received the Biofield Energy Treatment remotely by the renowned Biofield Energy Healer, Alice Branton, USA. The PXRD peak intensities and crystallite sizes of the treated sample significantly altered ranging from -78.43% to 1168.06% and -62.38% to 126.83%, respectively; along with 24.99% decrease in the average crystallite size as compared to the control sample. The particle size values in the treated sample by 9.59% (d₁₀), 21.63% (d₅₀), 16.55% (d₉₀), and 17.97% {D(4,3)}, respectively; hence the specific surface area was increased by 16.67% compared to the control sample. The weight loss was increased by 6.67%; however, the residue amount was found to be significantly decreased by 28.59% in the treated sample compared to the control sample. The T_max of the treated sample corresponding to 1^st and 2^nd peaks were decreased by 0.33% and 4.09%, respectively as compared to the control sample. Moreover, the latent heat of fusion was significantly increased by 13.74% as compared to the control sample. Besides, the degradation temperature and ΔH_{decomposition} of the treated sample were significantly reduced by 6.54% and 20.46%, respectively, as compared to the control sample. The Trivedi Effect^® might help in forming a novel polymorphic form of ascorbic acid that may also prove to be more soluble, absorbable, and bioavailable than the untreated sample. Thus, the Trivedi Effect^® might be considered as a novel approach for designing the more efficacious ascorbic acid containing nutraceutical/pharmaceutical formulations.