In vitro evaluation of the use of zeolites as biomaterials: effects on simulated body fluid and two types of cells.

Various zeolites were kept in simulated body fluid (SBF) for different periods of time. Possible changes that may occur in the crystalline structures of zeolites and the chemical composition of SBF were determined by various analysis techniques after this treatment. The possible effects of two different zeolites on the morphology and viability of chronic myelogeneous leukemia and swiss albino fibroblast culture cells were also investigated. It was determined that when different types of zeolites were kept in the SBF for up to 14 days, their crystal structures were not affected. Observable amounts of Si were detected in the SBF samples after their treatment with all the zeolites investigated. Another variation in the chemical composition of SBF, worth to mention, was the increase of about 10% in its K content after the treatment carried out by using clinoptilolite. The zeolites KA and silicalite, which allowed the lowest and highest amount of silicon transfer into the SBF, respectively, were observed not to have any significant biological effect on the two different cell generations investigated under the conditions used in this study.