Application of Nanosized Clinoptilolite in Biomedical Fields

Zeolites are hydrated natural and synthetic microporous crystals with well-defined structures containing AlO4 and SiO4 tetrahedra linked through the common oxygen atoms. Clinoptilolite with the simplified formula (Na,K)6Si30Al6O72 · nH2O is the most common natural zeolite found mainly in sedimentary rocks of volcanic origin. Clinoptilolite is defined as the series with the same framework topology, monoclinic crystal structure symmetry and Si/Al ≥ 4.0 [1]. Clinoptilolite has been applied to gas cleaning, waste water cleaning, agriculture and aquaculture, fertilizers, animal health and nourishment, gas separation, deodorization, construction materials, cleaning of radioactive wastes and biological technologies. These applications rely on the adsorption and ion exchange ability of clinoptilolite [2]. Several toxicological studies of clinoptilolite proved that this compound is non-toxic and safe for use in human and veterinary medicine.The human immune system showed the effective ability to develop itself when nano-sized zeolite from the clinoptilolite family is taken in powder or capsule form. Various studies proved the antiviral properties of the nano-sized powder. Toxicology studies show these zeolites to be non-toxic in their natural as well as their nano-sized state. Recent experiments in vitro and in vivo have suggested that clinoptilolite could be utilized as an adjuvant in anticancer therapy [3]. The best known positive biological activity of natural clinoptilolite is its action as antidiarrheal drug. Clinoptilolite treatment of mice and dogs suffering from a variety of tumor types led to improvement in the overall health status, prolongation of life span, and decrease in tumor size. Local application of clinoptilolite to skin cancers of some dogs effectively reduced tumor formation and growth. The various biomedical effects and application of zeolite are given in Fig. 1