^{2nd Middle East Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Conference}

Sapropel is traditional remedy applied topically in skin care and other health procedures. Sapropel forms in shallow waters by slowly decomposing organic sediment. There is a recent growth in its use in medicine, rehabilitation and skincare. Extraction of active ingredients from sapropel has been reported in literature. Raw material control and quality assurance have to be developed for sapropel for its use as raw material in medicine and pharmacology. Freshwater sapropel from freshwater lakes in Latvia was tested and standardized for the use in medicine and pharmaceutical industry. Geological survey data of Latvia lakes (ezeri.lv) were used to select 5 lakes. Site selection criteria were sapropel deposits depth, hydrological regime, exposure to industry and agriculture. 105 samples were collected. Organoleptic testing (look, consistence and smell, coarse composition test), measurements of heavy metal and pesticide residue, bacteriological test and pH were used for standardizing and describing of sapropel. Pb, Cd, Co, Ni, Cu were present well below acceptable level. Some samples had DDT residues. pH level is between 7 – 8. The concentration of humic and fulvic acids in samples varies between different mining sites and

sapropel strata levels. Storage at 4C in dark and without oxygen was sufficient for preserving sapropel.

Conclusion: After the extraction site is certified sapropel can be used as a quality assured raw material for medicine and pharmacology. The research was co-financed by project "Analysis of characteristics of medical sapropel and its usage for medical purposes and elaboration of industrial extraction methods", No.1.1.1.1/16/A/165.