title: Identification of organic compounds in San Diego de los Baños Peloid (Pinar del Río, Cuba).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural organic compounds with biologic activity have extensive use in the treatment of many diseases, and are of great interest both as natural products and as precursors for synthetic strategies. Thermal muds ("peloids") are a typical example of natural products that contain organic compounds with biologic activity, which allows their use in the treatment of different pathologies. More recently, these thermal muds have found an increasing use in relaxation therapies in health spas.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed to characterize the organic composition of San Diego de los Baños peloid (Pinar del Río, Cuba). For this purpose, a procedure for the extraction and chromatographic analysis has been developed, taking into account sample preparation, elimination of interferences, chromatographic separation of the organic compounds, and identification by mass spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 50 compounds were identified in the San Diego de los Baños peloid, mainly of natural origin. Among them were found alkanes, the 4 phenyl valeric acid, 5 isopentyl picolinic acid, 3 hydroxylauric acid, (5α, 3β) 3-hydroxy-11-androstanone, the 5α-2-en-11 androstenone, squalene, terpinol (α terpineol), menthol derivatives (1 butyn 3 one 1 yl menthol), the palmitic, oleic, and eicosanoic acids, and the isoprenoid phytane. These compounds have reportedly shown biologic activity in their isolated form as antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immune stimulant, antineoplastic, detoxicant, membrane regulator, and hormones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide strong evidence for medical interpretation of the well-known therapeutic action of San Diego de los Baños peloid in the treatment of inflammatory and dermatological diseases, as analgesic, in male and female infertility therapies, and with cosmetic purposes. Furthermore, this systematic work contributes to the fundamental understanding of pelotherapy, giving some scientific basis for its future development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thermalism, National Center of Natural and Traditional Medicine (CENAMENT), Havana, Cuba. margaret@instec.cu
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melián
authors.forename: Maritza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Irminia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: Dagoberto
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Juan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fagundo
mesh_terms: D002845:Chromatography; D003462:Cuba; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008900:Mineral Waters / Q000032:analysis*; D009094:Mud Therapy
chemical_list: D006812:Humic Substances; D008900:Mineral Waters