Physico-Chemical Properties of Termite Mound Clay (Humbas Mati) And Its Scientific Base for Healing Ability in Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine

Abstract

Sri Lankan traditional medicine includes mud therapy and various types of muds were used for therapeutic purposes such as Termite mound clay (Humbas mati), Potter wasp clay (Kumbal mati) and Kambiseenipas. This study is designed to analyze the physico-chemical properties of Termite mound clay and to justify the scientific base for its healing ability. Termite mound clay was collected from Boralesgamuwa, Colombo. Particle size analysis by hydrometer method to identify the clay, sand and silt percentages was conducted at the Department of Agricultural and Plantation Engineering, The Open University of Sri Lanka. pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Zn, Cu and Sulphur were analyzed using standard methods including pH meter, conductivity meter, modified Kjeldahl oxidation method, Bray 1 method, atomic absorption spectrophotometer and flame photometer at the Soil and Plant Nutrition Division of the Tea Research institute, Talawakelle. The articles on mud therapy on joint diseases, facial disorders and edema were obtained from the search engines Google scholar and PubMed. Furthermore, traditional medicines that included various types of mud were obtained from the series Talpathe piliyam and the Ayurveda Pharmacopoeia. According to the results, termite mound clay of this study has 86% clay, 8% silt and 6% sand. The pH varies from 3.6 to 3.8. Electrical conductivity was 10.74 µs/cm. Chemical analysis of this study revealed that the total nitrogen and available phosphorus were 15% and 42 ppm respectively. Furthermore, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ were higher in as 45.8ppm, 151.7ppm, 9.7 ppm and 241.7ppm respectively. Chemical analysis of available Fe, Zn, Cu and Sulphur were 9.6 ppm, 1.1ppm, 0.11ppm and 48.3 ppm respectively. Results of this study agreed with several research findings on the healing ability of termite mound clay on joint disorders, skin related diseases, edema and to treat pregnant mothers with iron and Ca supplements and young children with diarrhea. Termite mound clay has the same physico chemical properties as the other muds used in mud therapy and justified for its healing ability. Therefore, termite mound clay could be used as a low-cost substitute in present day mud therapy.