In Vitro Physicochemical Properties of Neutral Aqueous Solution Systems (Water Products as Drinks) Containing Hydrogen Gas, 2-Carboxyethyl Germanium Sesquioxide, and Platinum Nanocolloid as Additives

Abstract

We studied the in vitro antioxidant activities of neutral aqueous solution systems (water products marketed as drinks) containing hydrogen gas (H 2 ), 2-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide (Ge-132), and platinum (Pt) nanocolloid as additives. We evaluated the abilities of these aqueous solutions to inhibit the oxidation of biomolecules catalyzed by an enzyme and induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also to scavenge ROS directly using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry. The concentrations of inorganic elements including Ge and Pt were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasmaatomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). All the water products examined more or less inhibited the oxidation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine by tyrosinase and that of L-histidine in an L-ascorbic acid/Cu 2+ reaction system. The results of ICP-MS and ICP-AES analyses revealed that Ge, Pt, and some major minerals existed in the water products at concentrations approximately equivalent to those reported by their manufacturers. The ESR spectra indicated that the dissolved Ge-132 molecules and the supplemented Pt nanocolloid particles reduced hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals. However, under the conditions employed, aqueous H 2 did not display such a scavenging ability for these ROS. Our results suggest that H 2 , Ge-132 and Pt nanocolloid dissolved or supplemented in neutral aqueous media exhibited antioxidant activities in vitro due to the direct scavenging of ROS and/or by other mechanisms.

Studies on the Physicochemical Properties and Existence of Water Products (as Drinks) Advertised as Having Smaller Cluster Sizes of H2O Molecules than Those of Regular Water

“…The results of ICP-AES and ICP-MS analyses revealed that various cationic mineral components, such as Ca, K, Mg, Na, B, Se, Ba and Li, were present in the aqueous solutions examined, except the DW control, at concentrations of up to 11.61 mg/l (Ca in GeW-400), 5.43 mg/l (K in GeW-1200), 12.26 mg/l (Na in GeW-400), 2.93 mg/l (Mg in XYZ), 13.2 µg/l (B in GeW-800), 6.1 µg/l (Se in GeW-1200), 6.5 µg/l (Ba in GeW-800), 7.9 µg/l (Li in GeW-800) and 40.4 µg/l (Fe in TW). The concentration of Ge, which is artificially dissolved in GeW-400, -800 and -1200 at 400, 800 and 1200 mg/l (1.2, 2.4 and 3.5 mM) as 2-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide, respectively (this was confirmed by analyses in a previous work 10) ), was determined to be 2.9 µg/l in XYZ and below the detection limit (0.1 µg/l) in CC, VW and the controls. The levels of anions obtained by ion chromatography were up to 8.60 mg/l (in XYZ) for Cl − , 18.53 mg/l (in GeW-400) for NO − 3 , and 9.59 mg/l (in GeW-1200) for SO 2− 4 .…”

“…com/xyzwater, http://www.mizuhiroba.jp/sale/Item/ ClusterClea, http://www.Organicgermanium.co.jp/ index.htm, etc.). As part of the in vitro physicochemical studies on the existence of water products advertised as having preferable effects on human health 9,10) and on their actual in vivo effects, [11][12][13] we intended to elucidate whether the claims of such advertisements concerning the cluster sizes of H 2 O molecules can be confirmed by differences in the BT, FT and temperature-dependent changes in the SG when compared to the controls. If the cluster sizes of H 2 O molecules in the corresponding water products are really reduced, the physicochemical properties of such aqueous solutions must be significantly different from those of regular water.…”

Carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) treatment during <i>in vitro</i> culture protects fertilized porcine embryos against oxidative stress induced apoptosis

“…The Ge-132 has been reported to exhibit broad spectrum of biological activities including anti-oxidative, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular activities with low toxicity [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Especially, the anti-oxidative function of Ge-132 can be explained by the presence of the chemical structure of Ge–C bond which make electron transfer between Ge and free radicals relatively easy and then scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative damage [ 18 , 19 ]. Recently, to improve the synergetic effect for radicals scavenging, it was used as a component of synthesized antioxidant complex with other promising pharmacologically active agents [ 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Assessing Ge-132 as an antioxidant in organic and water-containing media

“…Their level is normally regulated by enzymes (superoxide dismutase etc), non-enzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione, vitamins A, C, E [ 2 , 4 , 5 ] and exogenous antioxidants [ 6 ] which form two groups, hydrophilic (hydrosoluble) and hydrophobic (liposoluble) [ 1 , 6 , 7 ], depending on the media in which they are more efficiently blocking free radicals. Low toxicity of Ge sesquioxides [ 8 ], and particularly the efforts of Asai Germanium Company worked out the advent of 2-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) reported to have -besides immunomodulating [ [9][10][11], anti-inflammatory, anti-virus, hepato and radioprotector activity ([ 12 ] and refs therein) -antioxidant properties [ 9,[13][14][15][16][17][18]. Although this germanium preparation is being intensively studied [ [19][20][21] and even commercialized, its antioxidant mechanism is far from being established.…”