Silicate binders. Silicates are divided into subclasses according to their structure. One such group is the phyllosilicate family, characterised by a sheet-type
framework.
The most extensively studied of these materials is hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicates (HSCASs), for which several reviews are available
(Ramos et al. 1996; Do¨ll and Da¨nicke 2004; Avantaggiato et al. 2005).
A total of 80% of AFB1 could be adsorbed by HSCASs in vitro (Phillips et al. 1988) and could prevent aflatoxicosis.
Positive effects of other HSCASs on Drosophila progeny (Sisman 2006) were also observed.
Furthermore, responses to HSCASs appear to be dose-dependent (Smith et al. 1994).
HSCASs are thought to absorb aflatoxin selectively during the digestive process, which renders much of the aflatoxin unavailable for absorption from the gastrointestinal tract (Kubena et al. 1990).
The chemisorption of aflatoxin to HSCAS involves the formation of a complex by the -keto-lactone or bilactone system of aflatoxin with uncoordinated metal ions in HSCAS (Sarr et al. 1990).
AFB1 may react at surfaces and within the interlayers of HSCAS particles
(Phillips et al. 1995, 2002, 2008). Some sorbents, such as NovaSil clay, act as selective enterosorbents since they do not affect the serum concentrations of important vitamins and nutrient minerals in humans
(Afriyie-Gyawu et al. 2008).