The antioxidant activity of Ge-132 (2-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide, [(O 0.5) 3 GeCH 2 CH 2 COOH] n), a widely used organic germanium dietary supplement, was assessed by cyclic voltammetry and through its interaction with a stable radical 2,2,-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) monitored by UV-Vis and EPR spectroscopy in water, CH 3 CN, DMF, MeOH, and their mixtures with water. The results obtained by these methods are coherent in that Ge-132 can manifest its antioxidant activity only in the absence of water because the latter hydrolyses its Ge-O-Ge fragment responsible for quenching free radicals. Thus, contrary to a common use of Ge-132 as a water-soluble agent, it can act as an antioxidant solely in a lipid environment, which is important for understanding the mechanism of its biological activity.
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