Fulvic Acid from Chestnut Forest as an Added Qualities to Spring Water: Isolation and Characterization from Fiuggi Waters

Abstract

The aquifer of “mineral” water, historically known for its curative properties, is an identifying characteristic of the Anticolana valley. This area hosted a coppice chestnut forest for a long time. Under the forest, there is an important aquifer, historically renowned and widely recognized for preventing renal stone formation and or facilitating their expulsion. This mineral water pre- vents the formation of calcium oxalate and phosphate crystals in the kidney and promotes their dissolutions through soluble calcium complexes. The forest environment soil is particularly rich in humification products owing to the interaction of the rainwater–litter–soil system. The fulvic fraction is soluble in water under all pH conditions and enriches the water basin. We aimed to test these hypotheses and assess how the coppice chestnut forest is involved in fulvic acid production. Fulvic fractions isolated and purified from soil samples and mineral water (550 μg L−1) were analyzed by GC-MS, FTIR, and NMR. Data from different sources were compared, showing sufficient similarities to state that the fulvic acids isolated from the water come from the processes that take place between the stems and the chestnut litter. The chestnut forest provides enrichment to water quality, which is a distinctive piece of information in defining water enhancement strategies, establishing soil management and designating sustainable forest management.