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Review
. 2019 Apr 17;24(8):1517.
doi: 10.3390/molecules24081517.

Zeolite Clinoptilolite: Therapeutic Virtues of an Ancient Mineral

Andrea Mastinu  1 , Amit Kumar  2 , Giuseppina Maccarinelli  3 , Sara Anna Bonini  4 , Marika Premoli  5 , Francesca Aria  6 , Alessandra Gianoncelli  7 , Maurizio Memo  8
Affiliations
Review

Zeolite Clinoptilolite: Therapeutic Virtues of an Ancient Mineral

Andrea Mastinu et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Zeolites are porous minerals with high absorbency and ion-exchange capacity. Their molecular structure is a dense network of AlO4 and SiO4 that generates cavities where water and other polar molecules or ions are inserted/exchanged. Even though there are several synthetic or natural occurring species of zeolites, the most widespread and studied is the naturally occurring zeolite clinoptilolite (ZC). ZC is an excellent detoxifying, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. As a result, it is been used in many industrial applications ranging from environmental remediation to oral applications/supplementation in vivo in humans as food supplements or medical devices. Moreover, the modification as micronization of ZC (M-ZC) or tribomechanically activated zeolite clinoptilolite (TMAZ) or furthermore as double tribomechanically activated zeolite clinoptilolite (PMA-ZC) allows improving its benefits in preclinical and clinical models. Despite its extensive use, many underlying action mechanisms of ZC in its natural or modified forms are still unclear, especially in humans. The main aim of this review is to shed light on the geochemical aspects and therapeutic potentials of ZC with a vision of endorsing further preclinical and clinical research on zeolites, in specific on the ZC and its modified forms as a potential agent for promoting human brain health and overall well-being.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; anti-inflammatory; antioxidant; detoxifying; micronization; tribomechanical activation; zeolite clinoptilolite.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) AlO4 and SiO4 tetrahedrons joined by oxygen atoms that constitute the reticular structure of the zeolite. (B) and (C) Clinoptilolite framework type by http://www.iza-structure.org/.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Some minerals with zeolite structure. Clinoptilolite photo by Christian Rewitzer Collection (CC BY-SA 3.0); Analcime photo by Carles Milan (CC BY 3.0); Phillipsite photo by Martin Zinn (CC-BY-SA-3.0); Faujasite photo by Modris Baum (Public Domain); Erionite photo by Leon Hupperichs (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Zeolite clinoptilolite (ZC) reduces ammonia concentration and improves the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Furthermore, ZC acts on intestinal lymphoid tissues with a positive impact on the intestinal ecosystem and boosting the immune system. ZC avails metal ions, present within its structure, as cofactors for the activation of antioxidant enzymes.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mitochondrial ROS production in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. In this particular set of images, a set of cells (lower panels) were preincubated with tribomechanically activated zeolite (TMAZ) and Panaceo Micro Activation (PMA-ZC) (2,5 ng/mL) or vehicle (upper panels) for 30 min before the laser excitation. Cells pretreated with TMAZ/PMA-ZC were more protected from oxidative stress than cells that received only vehicle (adapted from Montinaro et al., 2013).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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