Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Sep;69(9):2103-2113.
doi: 10.1007/s00484-025-02967-8. Epub 2025 Jul 16.

Development of a microalgal peloid for thermotherapeutic uses

M Lourdes Mourelle  1 , Carmen P Gómez  2 , M C Martín de la Cruz  3 , Gonzalo Cortés  4 , Ignacio Cortés  4 , José L Legido  2
Affiliations

Development of a microalgal peloid for thermotherapeutic uses

M Lourdes Mourelle et al. Int J Biometeorol. 2025 Sep.

Abstract

Peloids are therapeutic agents used in thermal medical / spa centers for the treatment of several ailments, mainly rheumatological diseases, sport injuries and dermato logical disorders. Peloids are composed by a mixture of a solid phase (clay, silt, peat, etc.), a liquid phase (mineral-medicinal water or seawater/salt-lake water), and a biological phase which include cyanobacteria and/or microalgae. This work describes the process of formulating a peloid from mineral-medicinal water (Balneario El Raposo), a solid clayey substrate, a microalga (Monoraphidium pusillum), and rosmarinic acid for use in muscular-skeletal disorders. In order to evaluate its thermotherapeutic potential, thermophysical properties have been studied. The development of a "phyto-peloid" could be of interest in order to improve the anti-inflammatory properties of thermal muds.

Keywords: Monoraphidium pusillum; Peloid; Thermophysical properties, thermotherapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Process for obtaining experimental peloids
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Thermophysical properties behavior versus maturation time. A, Density; B, Specific heat; C, Thermal conductivity; D, Thermal diffusivity. (Blue circles 35 °C; red squares 25 °C)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Comparation of obtained data from microalgal peloid and other studied peloids. A, Density; B, Specific heat; C, Thermal conductivity; D, Thermal diffusivity. Black circles data from this work and white circles from the bibliography
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Akimzhanova K, Sabitova A, Mussabayeva B et al (2024) Chemical composition and physicochemical properties of natural therapeutic mud of Kazakhstan salt lakes: A review. Environ Geochem Health 46(2):43. 10.1007/s10653-023-01813-3 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Armijo F, Maraver F, Pozo M et al (2016) Thermal behaviour of clays and Clay-Water mixtures for pelotherapy. Appl Clay Sci 126:50–56. 10.1016/j.clay.2016.02.020
    1. Bácsi I, Tóthfalusi F, Márton K et al (2022) The effects of photobioreactor type on biomass and lipid production of the green microalga Monoraphidium pusillum in laboratory scale. Appl Sci 12(4):2196. 10.3390/app12042196
    1. Beer AM, Grozeva A, Sagorchev P et al (2003) Comparative Study of the Thermal Properties of Mud and Peat Solutions Applied in Clinical Practice. Vergleichende Untersuchungen Zu Den Wärmeeigenschaften von Klinisch Verwendetem Schlamm Und Badetorf. Biomedizinische Technik/Biomedical Engineering, 48 (11), 301–305. 10.1515/bmte.2003.48.11.301 - PubMed
    1. Berbenni J (1960) Physical, physicochemical and chemical analyses of therapeutic muds. Ann Chim (Rome) 50:560–580

LinkOut - more resources