Application of Zeolite in Biomedical Engineering: A Review

Zeolites are natural or synthetic crystalline aluminosilicates with ion exchanging properties. The present review comments on the use of zeolites in biomedical applications. Both natural and synthetic zeolites have been used in pharmaceutical industry and in medicine. Since many biomedical processes are closely related to ion exchange, adsorption and catalysis, it is evident that natural zeolites can make a significant breakthrough in these fields in the near future. Natural silicate materials, including zeolite clinoptilolite, have been shown to exhibit diverse biological activities and have been used successfully as a vaccine adjuvant and for the treatment of diarrhea. Furthermore, zeolites are used in artificial kidney for elimination of uremic toxins such as urea, uric acid, creatinine, p-cresol and indoxyl sulfate from solutions.