Exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from Southern Morocco
Background: Naturotherapy involving geo-materials has been a longstanding practice, originating from antiquity. El Hammira, a striking red medicinal stone from Southern Morocco, continues to be a vital component in traditional Moroccan Saharan health practices. Despite its ongoing significance, the...
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Trace Elements and Minerals |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773050625000370 |
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| author | F. El Hilali H. El Hilali Z. M'hamdi I. Loudaoued O. Hammani M. Aissa A. Amechrouq |
| author_facet | F. El Hilali H. El Hilali Z. M'hamdi I. Loudaoued O. Hammani M. Aissa A. Amechrouq |
| author_sort | F. El Hilali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Naturotherapy involving geo-materials has been a longstanding practice, originating from antiquity. El Hammira, a striking red medicinal stone from Southern Morocco, continues to be a vital component in traditional Moroccan Saharan health practices. Despite its ongoing significance, the exact chemical composition and therapeutic efficacy of this practice remain largely underexplored, heavily based on oral tradition. This paper aims to characterize the mineral and chemical properties of El Hammira for the first time, using high-performance analytical techniques. Study Area: Six samples were collected from the El Hammira deposit in Es-Smara, located in the southern region of Morocco. Methods: Samples are subjected to analysis using metallographic microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Results: The results show that El Hammira is a distinctive rock with high iron content and predominant minerals, including quartz and silica. Additionally, the presence of metals and metalloids in exceeded quantities raises potential concerns regarding safety and efficacy. Conclusion: This first analysis of El Hammira, highlighting its unique mineral composition and the presence of metals and metalloids. These findings emphasize the need for further research and processing to ensure its safety for medicinal and cosmetic use. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-acb8ebfa7c2b4e7b8bafaac4747977e5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2773-0506 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Trace Elements and Minerals |
| spelling | doaj-art-acb8ebfa7c2b4e7b8bafaac4747977e52025-08-20T02:15:15ZengElsevierJournal of Trace Elements and Minerals2773-05062025-06-011210024610.1016/j.jtemin.2025.100246Exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from Southern MoroccoF. El Hilali0H. El Hilali1Z. M'hamdi2I. Loudaoued3O. Hammani4M. Aissa5A. Amechrouq6Medico-Surgical, Biomedicine and Infectiology Research Laboratory, The Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Laayoune & Agadir, Ibnou Zohr University, Morocco; Corresponding author.Medico-Surgical, Biomedicine and Infectiology Research Laboratory, The Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Laayoune & Agadir, Ibnou Zohr University, MoroccoLaboratory of Molecular Chemistry and Natural Substances, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, MoroccoMineral Ressources and Geomatics Research Team, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, MoroccoFaculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco; National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST), Rabat, MoroccoMineral Ressources and Geomatics Research Team, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, MoroccoLaboratory of Molecular Chemistry and Natural Substances, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, MoroccoBackground: Naturotherapy involving geo-materials has been a longstanding practice, originating from antiquity. El Hammira, a striking red medicinal stone from Southern Morocco, continues to be a vital component in traditional Moroccan Saharan health practices. Despite its ongoing significance, the exact chemical composition and therapeutic efficacy of this practice remain largely underexplored, heavily based on oral tradition. This paper aims to characterize the mineral and chemical properties of El Hammira for the first time, using high-performance analytical techniques. Study Area: Six samples were collected from the El Hammira deposit in Es-Smara, located in the southern region of Morocco. Methods: Samples are subjected to analysis using metallographic microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Results: The results show that El Hammira is a distinctive rock with high iron content and predominant minerals, including quartz and silica. Additionally, the presence of metals and metalloids in exceeded quantities raises potential concerns regarding safety and efficacy. Conclusion: This first analysis of El Hammira, highlighting its unique mineral composition and the presence of metals and metalloids. These findings emphasize the need for further research and processing to ensure its safety for medicinal and cosmetic use.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773050625000370Chemical CompositionEl HammiraMedicinal StoneMetals and MetalloidsSouthern Morocco |
| spellingShingle | F. El Hilali H. El Hilali Z. M'hamdi I. Loudaoued O. Hammani M. Aissa A. Amechrouq Exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from Southern Morocco Journal of Trace Elements and Minerals Chemical Composition El Hammira Medicinal Stone Metals and Metalloids Southern Morocco |
| title | Exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from Southern Morocco |
| title_full | Exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from Southern Morocco |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from Southern Morocco |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from Southern Morocco |
| title_short | Exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from Southern Morocco |
| title_sort | exploring the chemical and mineralogical properties of a traditional healing stone from southern morocco |
| topic | Chemical Composition El Hammira Medicinal Stone Metals and Metalloids Southern Morocco |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773050625000370 |
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