Introduction: Brenta’s silt-clay consist of silt with clay containing Italian Dolomites minerals extracted from the catchment area of Brenta river. Sediments were investigated by SEM, XRD, XRF and particle size granulometer. The presence of SiO2 (34.16%), CaO (17.12%), and Al2O3 (11.15%) as principal elements is comparable with the typical composition of Euganean Thermal Muds (ETM) of Euganean Thermal Area (ETA) which average level of SiO2, CaO, and Al2O3 are respectively 38.75%, 17.74%, and 7.70%1). Tensiometric investigation of Brenta’s silt-clay were performed hypothesizing its employ in mudtherapy. Objectives: Surface energy of natural ETM and its maturation process were monitored by TVS mud index, a tensiometric marker for the determination of the quality of a thermal mud2). The aim of this work was to determine the quality of Brenta’s silt-clay by tensiometric approach introducing it in the field of thermalism. Materials and Methods: Brenta’s silt-clayey (ie Brenta Ker) samples were collected from EGAP’s gravel pit, undergone at maturation process for 6 weeks employing thermal water, investigated using DSA10-Kruss tensiometer with diiodomethane, PFPE, glycerine as liquid tests.   Tensiometric characterizations were performed by measurement of contact angles (deg) of different liquid tests and their conversion in surface energy (mN/m) by Owens mathematical model 3). TVS mud index levels were determined trough the measurements of contact angles of PFPE 4) by Perfluoropolyether Contact Angle Measurement Method (PCAM) for maturation process (mN/m eq./weeks) and speed (m*Nm-1/h) evaluations. Results: The correlation degree between ETM XRF elements data (ppm) and those of Brenta’s silt-clay (ppm) was satisfactory (R2=0.82) confirming the common origin of two kind of matrices. Considering 6 weeks of maturation, surface energy profile of Brenta’s silt-clay, expressed as dispersed component (DC) and polar component (PC), showed respectively 17.84 mN/m and 32.04 mN/m with coefficients of variations (CV%) around 22.43% and 14.29%. TVS mud index levels monitored during maturation process showed a clear decrease in the time (t0=84.02.5 mN/m eq, t1=71.01.9 mN/m eq., t2=79.80.7 mN/m eq., t3=72.63.1 mN/m eq., t4=61.22.6 mN/m eq., t5=65.12.1 mN/m eq., t6=58.81.6 mN/m eq.) underlined by the decrease of maturation speed monitored for 60 days and expressed as DC per hour (t48=0.08 m*Nm-1/h, t120=0.03 m*Nm-1/h, t144=0.04 m*Nm-1/h, t384= 0.02 m*Nm-1/h, t1416=0.005 m*Nm-1/h). Conclusions: Tensiometric investigations by TVS modelling and maturation speed evaluations confirmed the suitability of Brenta’s silt-clay to be employed in thermal field opening new perspectives in mudtherapy.

Introduction: To evaluate the influence of the skin aging critical level on the development of objective thermal protocols, an improved integrated tensiometric approach was developed named as Tensiometric Versus Skin (TVS) modeling.   TVS modeling: (i) exploits the structure-surface correlations which are characteristic of all systems; (ii) applies the principle of permutability of the tensiometric technique, according to which unknown solids can be characterized by their known surface characteristics, and vice versa; (iii) is carried out in a non-invasive way by a tensiometric contact angle method.   TVS modeling involves TVS skin test as an objective evaluation marker of the epidermal functional state, and TVS mud index as an evaluation marker of thermal matrices. Objectives: On the basis of these scientific evidences, the combined action of TVS mud index with TVS skin test was investigated to develop objective dose-response thermal protocols.   The first “OTP-TVS thermal protocol” was developed in the Euganean thermal area where fangotherapy is widely practiced. Materials and Methods: Native Euganean thermal mud was firstly characterized from the chemical and mineralogical point of view. After maturation in controlled conditions, TVS mud index was obtained by contact angle method using PFPE as reference standard liquid, and finally, by repeated TVS skin test before and after a dose of fango application, the fango effectiveness was performed. Results: The schematic OTP-TVS protocol pathway is shown in Figure 1.

Introduction: The link between the hydration state and the functional effects of formulations and natural systems is been demonstrated by several studies. Measurement of skin hydration has been used to assess barrier function integrity in vivo and stratum corneum (SC), hydration may increase after the topical application of natural or formulate systems. Thermal muds have great hydration properties thanking at its high water contain due to presence of clays minerals1). Our work was focused on the evaluation of skin’s hydration potentialities of Japanese Biofango®. Objectives: Mudtherapy increase the hydration state of skin and modify its selective permeability favouring the permeation of therapeutic substances product by maturation process. Our goal was the development of a tensiometric model for assessment and optimisation of Japanese Biofango mudtherapy protocol by the evaluation of skin hydration measuring water contact angles on skin surface2). Our work was performed at Sanraku-en spas centre (Tonami-Japan). Materials and Methods: Biofango was constituted by Kunigel, Kaolinite, and WakuraDiatomite contains montmorillonite. BFM mixture was prepared and collected from Sanraku-en maturation plant. Samples were stored at -25°C. Skin’s hydration state analysis were performed before and after treatment by contact angle method (CA) using DSA 2-Kruss Dynamic Tenskinmeter3) water as liquid test and accordingly to traditional Sanraku-en/Biofango protocol. Four subjects with differents age, sex and weights (KS, YS, MO, and KM) were considered as test. Sanraku-en mudtherapy protocol’s steps were (a) first blood pressure measurement, (b) water’s CA measurements on left and right arm before treatment, (c) thermal bath (8’), (d) water’s CA measurements, (e) BFM mudtherapy (20’), (f) water’s CA measurements on polish skin, (g) shower (3’), (h) water’s CA measurements, and (i) final blood pressure measurement. Results: CA of water on subject KS skin showed elevated levels before (CAt0>89.5 deg) and after (CAtf>89.5 deg) treatment. YS subject showed increases of skin hydration after treatment (CAt0>89.5 deg, CAtf=40.27 deg), MO showed more increase of skin hydration than YS (CAt0>89.5 deg, CAtf=20.12 deg), and KM (CAt0>89.5 deg, CAtf=41.30 deg) showed an hydration state similar to YS. Regarding YS subject, we optimized its mudtherapy by the inversion of bath (CAt0>89.5 deg, CAtf>89.5 deg) with mudtherapy phases. As results a major increase of hydration state respect normal protocol (CAt0>89.5 deg, CAtf =30.4 deg) reflecting on skin moisturize after bath phase also (CAt0>89.5 deg, CAtf=87.43 deg). Conclusions: Analyses of hydration state of skin by measurement of water’s contact angles consented to evaluate the capability of Biofango BFM to modify the selective permeability of stratum corneum. Thanking to the method developed was possible to optimise and personalize Sanraku-en protocol.