Polysaccharides from the Mud of Different Thermal Centers Have Similar Anti-Inflammatory Activity

The Euganean Thermal District is renowned for being one of the largest and oldest thermal centers in Europe. A recent study published in the journal “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” and titled “Microbial Polysaccharides Extracted from Different Mature Muds of the Euganean Thermal District Show Similar Anti-Inflammatory Activity In Vivo” has highlighted new evidence on the anti-inflammatory activity of polysaccharides extracted from the mature muds of this thermal area (Caichiolo et al., 2024).

 

These muds, also known as peloids, are recognized by the Italian Health System for their benefits in the treatment of arthritic and rheumatic diseases. Their preparation follows a rigorous protocol (BUR 2015):

 

raw mud is collected from the thermal lakes of the region and distributed among various thermal facilities, where it is left to mature for at least two months. During this period, the mud is covered by thermal waters at a temperature of about 40 °C, promoting the development of a green biofilm composed of various microorganisms immersed in a matrix mainly made up of externally released polysaccharides. The mature mud is then stirred and transferred to tanks with thermal water at about 60 °C to reduce the natural microbial load and make the product more fluid and suitable for therapeutic applications.

 

Recently, it has been shown that polysaccharides extracted from a sample of therapeutic mud, matured at 40 °C and composed of a microbial community dominated by the cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. ETS-05, possess potent anti-inflammatory properties. This evidence was obtained using the zebrafish model organism (Zampieri et al., 2022).

 

In this new study, the anti-inflammatory properties of polysaccharides extracted from mature muds, whose maturation was achieved at different temperatures and in various spas of the Euganean District, were investigated. Indeed, despite the regulation for mud production indicating an optimal maturation temperature of 40 °C, maintaining this standard is often difficult due to the configuration of the tanks and the thermal water distribution system, which comes from a well at 75 °C.

 

 

The in-depth investigation of the microbial community composition, focusing on the cyanobacteria species that form the fundamental component, confirmed the presence of the cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. ETS-05 at intermediate temperatures (37-47 °C), while at higher temperatures, other species such as Thermospirulina andreolii ETS-09 and Leptolyngbya sp. ETS-13 take over (Gris et al., 2020).

 

Subsequently, the chemical analysis of the polysaccharides extracted from the mature muds, thus representative of the molecules produced by the colonizing organisms, revealed a surprising chemical homogeneity (types and quantities of monosaccharides constituting the polymers).

 

The study also highlighted how these different polysaccharides, extracted from muds matured at different temperatures, possess similar anti-inflammatory activity concerning the recovery from an inflammation state induced in zebrafish. For example, as shown in the image below, various morphological traits were analyzed in zebrafish larvae following inflammation induction with copper sulfate (CuSO4) and subsequent treatment with the polysaccharides (M-PS, microbial polysaccharides). The treatment with copper sulfate and the induced inflammatory state result in delayed zebrafish development. However, this delay is recovered through treatment with the polysaccharides, which are thus able to counteract the inflammatory process.

 

In conclusion, the study demonstrates how the thermal muds of the Euganean District, thanks to their rich microbial community, can offer an effective and natural treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases. These results provide further scientific evidence and confirm the therapeutic value of the ancient thermal practices of the district.

 

For more details on scientific research and the therapeutic benefits of the Euganean Thermal District muds, visit the Scientific Research section.