Synthesis and characterization of zeolites and their application as hemostatic coagulant agents

• Grant number: 13/17114-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Jose Geraldo Nery
• Grantee: Gabriel Zazeri
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Despite the advances in medical intervention, traumatic fatal hemorrhage remains a major cause of death worldwide. Consequently, the development of effective methods for the treatment of uncontrolled hemorrhages has become a priority for in various medical research centers. In this direction, many efforts have been dedicated to the research and development of new hemostatic agents that can act more effectively to control hemorrhages.At first an ideal hemostatic agent must have the capacity to stop the bleeding both arterial and venous, be ready for use, easy to apply, durable and lightweight, stable and functional, safe and cheap. Although the majority of hemostatic agents is of an organic nature recently studies involving the use of zeolites as hemostatic agents have shown encouraging results for the control of bleeding. These studies shows that when in contact with the blood, zeolites adsorbs rapidly the water molecules in their pores, thereby concentrating the proteins and cellular elements to clot formation. Moreover, the surface of the zeolite containing negative charge provides a chemical environment favorable which acts as an activator of the contact pattern of the intrinsic coagulation cascade. The potential of zeolite as hemostatic agent has only begun to be explored effectively release of QuikClot hemostatic agent in 1990 by the American company Z-Medica Inc. In the specific case of this hemostatic agent its molecular structure or topology was the zeolite faujasite (FAU) in its form dehydrated. From this moment, the systematic study of inorganic oxides and new zeolitic materials specially modulated to be used as hemostatic agents has become a very attractive and challenging research area and, due to its great potential for technological innovation. In this context, the objectives of this undergraduate research project is the synthesis, characterization and modulation of different zeolitic materials at the nanometric scale, and their application as hemostatic agents to control bleeding by accelerating the clotting process. (AU)