Healing and edible clays: a review of basic concepts, benefits and risks

Gomes, Celso

doi:10.1007/s10653-016-9903-4

Cited by 86 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 127 publications

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“…Researchers should be able to count on a set of empirical instrumental tests to quantify these properties. For a clay paste or peloid to be suitable for pelotherapeutic use, it should have certain properties such as a low cooling rate, a high absorption capacity and cation exchange capacity (CEC), good adhesiveness, ease of handling and a low hardness offering a pleasant feeling when applied to the skin [1,[11][12][13]].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations in the Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) Properties of Clay/Mineral-Medicinal Water Mixtures for Pelotherapy: Effect of Anion Type

et al. 2019

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A peloid’s liquid phase can be mineral, sea or salt-lake water. This study examines the interactions among three materials, two special clays (bentonite and sepiolite) and one common clay, and three chemically different mineral-medicinal waters. In all clay–water mixtures, the hardness and adhesiveness decreased with the amount of water in the mixture. For a given hardness or adhesiveness, sepiolite retained more water than the other clays, especially in the presence of sulphate-rich mineral-medicinal water (73%). In contrast, the common clay retained the least amount of water (26%), and the bentonite samples returned an intermediate value for the amount of retained water (52–53%). These differences had a strong influence on the thermal behaviour of the mixtures and, hence, should be taken into account for their use in thermotherapy applications. There were no significant differences in the instrumental texture of the clay pastes according to the predominant anion in the mineral-medicinal waters.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations in the Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) Properties of Clay/Mineral-Medicinal Water Mixtures for Pelotherapy: Effect of Anion Type

et al. 2019

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“…For instance, much attention should be paid to the clay component of the bottom sediment. Geological studies of other types of peloids have revealed that clay mineralogy and provenance are of crucial importance for correct understanding of the mechanism of this sediment formation [36][37][38]. Educational importance of the studied peloids is limited, partly due tothe high complexity of the processes of their formation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coastal Peloids as Geological Heritage: Evidence from the Taman Peninsula (Southwestern Russia)

Fedorov

Гарькуша

Trubnik

et al. 2019

Water

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The coastal peloidis a peculiar and poorly-studied geological substance. Peloids occurin the Bugaz, Kiziltash, and Vityazevolimans and the Chemburka Lake on the southern coast of the Taman Peninsula. The studied peloids are dark-colored mud enriched in hydrogen sulfide and methane and constitute the uppermost 10–20 cm of bottom sediments. Being geologically unique, the coastal peloids of the Taman Peninsula can be recognized as ageoheritage site. Their uniqueness is linked to sediment type, biogeochemical processes, economic value, and depositional environment. The most typical peloids are found in the BugazLiman and the Chemburka Lake, proposed as geosites. The recognized coastal geoheritage site can be used for the purposes of science, education, and tourism, and its utility seems to be especially high because of its close location to the big resort area of Anapa. It appears to be important to balance management of this geoheritagesite with peloid extraction for balneological purposes. The studied coastal muds should be involved into the regional planning programs aimed at sustainable development (international experience and, particularly, some examples from the British coasts should be taken into consideration). Particularly, it is necessary to put peloid use into the context of regional planning and sustainable natural resource management.

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“…More recently, “ancient” agents such as clay minerals with demonstrated medicinal applications have become of interest ( 11 ). Clay minerals have been employed for reported curative and protective purposes (antiseptic or anti-inflammatory agents) since early history ( 11 , 12 ). Aside from the topical application of medicinal clays, geophagy or geopharma ( 13 ), representing the deliberate ingestion of “earth” materials for medicinal purposes such as healing gastrointestinal disturbances and/or supplementation of minerals, has also been practiced ( 12 , 14 – 16 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of a Natural Clay Mineral from British Columbia, Canada

Behroozian

Svensson

et al. 2020

mBio

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Worldwide increases in antibiotic resistance and the dearth of new antibiotics have created a global crisis in the treatment of infectious diseases. These concerns highlight the pressing need for novel antimicrobial agents. Natural clay minerals have a long history of therapeutic and biomedical applications and have lately received specific attention for their potent antimicrobial properties. In particular, Kisameet clay (KC) has strong antibacterial activity against a variety of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens in vitro. Here, we have extended the known spectrum of activity of KC by demonstrating its efficacy against two major fungal pathogens, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. In addition, KC also exhibits potent activity against the opportunistic bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium marinum, a model organism for M. ulcerans infection. Moreover, aqueous KC leachates (KC-L) exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, eradicated Gram-negative and Gram-positive biofilms, and prevented their formation. The mechanism(s) underlying KC antibacterial activity appears to be complex. Adjusting KC-L to neutral pH rendered it inactive, indicating a contribution of pH, although low pH alone was insufficient for its antibacterial activity. Treatment of KC minerals with cation-chelating agents such as EDTA, 2,2′-bipyridyl, and deferoxamine reduced the antibacterial activity, while supplementation of KC-L with these chelating agents eliminated the inhibitory activity. Together, the data suggest a positive role for divalent and trivalent cations, including iron and aluminum, in bacterial inhibition by KC. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the range of KC bioactivity and provide a better understanding of the mechanism underlying its antibacterial effects. IMPORTANCE The escalating emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, together with the paucity of novel antimicrobial agents in antibiotic development, is recognized as a worldwide public health crisis. Kisameet clay (KC), found in British Columbia (BC), Canada, is a clay mineral with a long history of therapeutic applications among people of the First Nations. We previously reported the antibacterial activity of KC against a group of MDR clinical pathogens. Here, we demonstrate its activity against two major human-pathogenic fungal species, as well as against bacterial biofilms, which underlie many recalcitrant bacterial infections. In these studies, we also identified several geochemical characteristics of KC, such as metal ions and low pH, which are involved in its antibacterial activity. These findings provide a better understanding of the components of KC antibacterial activity and a basis for developing defined preparations of this clay mineral for therapeutic applications.

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Healing and edible clays: a review of basic concepts, benefits and risks

Cited by 86 publications

References 127 publications

Variations in the Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) Properties of Clay/Mineral-Medicinal Water Mixtures for Pelotherapy: Effect of Anion Type

Variations in the Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) Properties of Clay/Mineral-Medicinal Water Mixtures for Pelotherapy: Effect of Anion Type

Coastal Peloids as Geological Heritage: Evidence from the Taman Peninsula (Southwestern Russia)

Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of a Natural Clay Mineral from British Columbia, Canada

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