Investigation of Advanced Adsorbents for Removal of Excess Iron from the Body

Iron-binding supplements, such as the Ironology Iron Block, have emerged as a potential treatment for hemochromatosis. In this presentation we evaluate alternative sorbents for Fe removal compared with Iron Block. In order to develop a highly effective treatment, a variety of sorbent materials were tested for their Fe affinity, selectivity, and capacity. Zeolites, hydrotalcites, clays, tannins, hops, and various supplements were tested for binding using a metal solution containing Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, and Zn with concentrations determined by dietary allowances and analyzed via inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The hydrotalcites, clays, and supplements which sorbed Fe were effective, but had a lower Fe capacity compared with the Iron Block. Both varieties of tannins, two varieties of hops, and a zeolite sample sorbed more Fe than the Iron Block on a per mass basis. While the zeolite had an uptake higher than the Iron Block, it proved not selective as it sorbed other dietary metals present in the solution at similar capacities. One tannin sample sorbed 170% more Fe than the Iron Block, while 2 different samples of hops were found to sorb 110% and 140% more Fe, respectively. The results from this study indicate that non-soluble tannins or hops could be used as a potential treatment for hemochromatosis; however, additional work on understanding the competitive binding of other metals and the toxicity is still required.