Antiphlogistic effect by zeolite as determined by a murine inflammation model

Abstract

Natural zeolites are microporous crystalline aluminosilicates with channels and cavities of molecular dimensions of interest for biomedical applications. The antiphlogistic effect was investigated on the basis of a murine inflammation model using 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as inflammatory agent and the quantification of the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme that serves as an indicator for neutrophil migration.The zeolite used in this study was collected from San Andrés, Cuba, and it provided evidence to show the quantitative adsorption of histamine, a biogenic compound strongly involved in inflammation processes. Furthermore, a related work showed that this zeolite sample is free of hazardous materials and apt for health use. The zeolite of this study contained 65% clinoptilolite, 30% mordenite, and 5% smectite. The application of this zeolite reduced the edema formation induced by TPA within 24 h by 57.2 ± 18%, while the migration of neutrophils was not altered. The anti-inflammatory activity of zeolite was explained in part due to the quantitative adsorption of histamine, whilst natural cell repair mechanisms appeared not to be influenced. The outcome of this work expanded on reports concluding that antiphlogistic properties of zeolite proven in vivo with mice for inflammatory diseases are important for both oral application (gastrointestinal tract) and topical treatment (skin), too.