The Euganean Spas

The Euganean Thermal District has always been known for the exploitation of its thermal water and mud for therapeutic purposes.

In ancient times, the beneficial effects were attributed to local divinities, venerated through offerings and rituals performed on the shores of natural thermal lakes. With the settlement of the Romans, the healing power of the thermal springs assumed economic importance, leading to the transformation of the Euganean land where accommodation facilities and resource exploitation facilities were built [if you want to know more, visit the History of Euganean Thermalism page]. Today, the Euganean District owes its fame not only to thermal water, but also to its mud,  or peloid, used for therapeutic purposes. Currently, the Euganean area is one of the oldest and largest spa destinations in Europe with currently more than 100 spa centers that attract nearly two million tourists per year.

Mud therapy is considered a health treatment of excellence, recognized by the Italian National Health Service as a therapy against rheumatic diseases such as arthrosis and osteoarthrosis. Euganean therapeutic mud is considered unique in its kind, because it is obtained from a traditional  maturation process that uses two natural components from this land that are thermal water and virgin clay extracted from a thermal lake located at the foot of the Euganean Hills, Lake Costa in Arquà Petrarca.

The use of these resources and the application of a rigid maturation protocol based on traditional procedures are the necessary requirements for obtaining a highly-valued therapeutic mud that can be branded as “fango maturo DOC” [mature DOC mud], a brand that is released by the Veneto Region.

 

 

Each spa hotel carries out the maturation process of its own therapeutic mud, using silos or tanks where virgin clay and thermal water are kept in direct contact for at least two months at a temperature of about 40° C. During this maturation period, the growth of a green surface biofilm, consisting mainly of Cyanobacteria, is observed. These organisms are known for their ability to colonize all terrestrial and marine environments, thanks to their metabolic plasticity. This makes them capable of producing a large number of biomolecules, which can be applied in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, medical and energy sectors. An important role in the beneficial properties of Euganean thermal mud is attributed to Cyanobacteria. In particular, one species diffused and observed in the mud produced in the Euganean District, Phormidium sp. ETS-05, has been studied for its ability to synthesize glycolipids with an anti-inflammatory action, confirmed both in vitro and in vivo, and comparable to the action provided by reference drugs, but without side effects.

In 2013, these studies led to obtaining the European Patent (EP1571203) for the anti-inflammatory active ingredients of the Euganean thermal mud in 2013. Furthermore, it has recently been shown that ETS-05 also produces exopolysaccharides with anti-inflammatory effects. For these reasons, it is considered a target species, since its presence is necessary to define thermal mud properly matured. The knowledge of the maturation process of the Euganean therapeutic mud derives both from the application of traditional methods handed down over the centuries and from the information obtained with the scientific studies conducted in recent years. That led to the definition of a single protocol that must be followed to perform the correct maturation of therapeutic mud.

Given the great microbial biodiversity that characterizes thermal mud, it is reasonable to think that Phormidium sp. ETS-05 is not the only species capable of producing molecules that contribute to the therapeutic effects of mud therapy. Up to now, the study of the biodiversity of Euganean thermal mud has been limited to the taxonomic characterization of some species of cyanobacteria. In literature, no further information was available on the active ingredients produced by the species that colonize the Euganean mud, nor studies on the characterization of the total microbiota. The microscopic observations carried out on the superficial microbial layers collected from the mud maturation tanks suggest a much higher biodiversity than that which has been explored so far. Furthermore, some characterization studies conducted on natural thermal springs, considered similar environments, have highlighted the presence of very complex microbial communities which haven’t been investigated yet in the peloids nor in the Euganean District, nor in other world sites where mud therapy takes place. This type of information could be important to increase the knowledge of the factors and mechanisms that can explain the effectiveness of thermal mud in the treatment of some diseases. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to the study of the conditions that have made the abundant presence of the target species Phormidium sp. ETS-05 possible.

Both the characterization of mature mud and the study of the maturation process revealed the presence of cyanobacterial species peculiar to the Euganean territory and of other species that showed high identities with species found in thermal springs in different places in the world. However, the overall composition is unique and characteristic of Euganean mud only. The mud therapy is closely linked to the cyanobacterial community present in mature mud, which in turn is linked to the Euganean territory, making it a unique product, not transferable or reproducible in other locations.