Alpha sepiolite: An old clay mineral - A new dressing material

Abstract

?-sepiolite is a natural clay mineral that has powerful adsorptive properties. Sepiolite alone or combined with collagen has been used in many in-vivo implantation studies. Although it is a well known odor adsorber as pet litter, its odor adsorptive and liquid absorptive capacities have never been evaluated for use as a dressing material. This article compares odor adsorption, fluid absorption, and pH performance of ?-sepiolite to activated charcoal and simple gauze sponge. All tests were performed under simulated conditions in vitro using quantitative assays. The adsorptive capacities of ?-sepiolite are found to be significantly higher than activated charcoal dressings, and ?-sepiolite did not change the pH of the test solution. Based on these properties, sepiolite may be considered as an alternative material that can be added to dressing materials to eliminate exudate and odor.