HUMIC SUBSTANCES

INTRODUCTION

Humic substances (referred to as HSs) are natural substances. They are mainly found in soil and caustobiols (peat, brown coal, and lignite). They were created by complex chemical and microbiological transformations of plant matter. In practice, they are divided into Fulvic Acids (referred to as FA) and Humic Acids (referred to as HA).

2. EFFECTS OF HS ON PLANTS AND SOIL

HSs have been shown to influence plant growth and soil properties in several works from around the world reported in recent decades. Their appropriate application brings yield effects, improved product quality, acceleration of growth and development of treated plants, reduced losses when transplanting plants, reduced consumption of industrial fertilizers, and recovery of the soil environment.

HSs affect plant growth directly through physiological effects on plants and indirectly through impact on physical, physicochemical, and biological soil properties. They positively affect soil structure (looseness and friability), aeration, and water capacity and reduce soil erosion. They increase the complex-forming properties of the soil and play an essential role in plant nutrition. They increase the availability and acceptability of nutrients and, thereby, the effectiveness of fertilization. They increase the permeability of membranes and thereby support the uptake of nutrients by the roots and leaves of plants. They directly affect plant metabolism, photosynthesis, respiration, and protein synthesis. That affects the synthesis and activity of plant and soil enzymes. They are, therefore, used as growth stimulators. In soil systems, HSs bind degradation products of pesticides, i.e., herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, thereby limiting their toxic effects.

3. PHARMACOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS HS

As phylogenetically ancient components of the natural environment, HSs strongly influence living organisms. The permeability effects of HSs in nature are widely known. Changes in the permeability of cell membranes, bacterial membranes, and cell membranes of higher animals, including humans, have been demonstrated.

HSs can change the production of free oxygen radicals in cells, which can be used to regulate the healing process in case of skin and mucous membrane damage. HSs can significantly affect the defense of tissues against infection, especially in a contact manner on a large surface. HSs have antibacterial and antiviral effects, have a favorable effect on metabolism, show anti-inflammatory activity, and impact the immune system. They have also been used in balneotherapy for more than a hundred years.

Oral administration will allow maximum use of these substances' beneficial effects and ensure their completely safe use without risks for living organisms at the cellular and organ levels. Oral administration reduces gastritis disorders; peat is an antiseptic agent.

Sodium humate is also recommended as a food supplement by a number of companies.

According to information from the Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Brno and their material "Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products," humic acids and sodium salts for oral use in all food animals are permitted. This legalizes the use of humic acids and their sodium salts in the Czech Republic.

4. IDENTIFICATION HS

In a diverse range of soil organic matter and caustobiolites, the presence of HSs can be unambiguously identified exclusively by spectral methods. These are primarily 13C NMR spectra (nuclear magnetic resonance) and IR spectra (infrared spectra). These spectral methods provide information on HSs's characteristic bonds and functional groups. This is the carbon bound in aromatic rings, the carbon of aliphatic side chains, carbon in C=O bonds (carboxyl groups), and carbon in C–O bonds (etheric bonds and phenolic or alcoholic OH groups).